Second Chances
by DarkLordsHeiress
Summary: Adriane Moore never expected to find love in Italy, but when she meets broken vampire Marcus her life is changed forever. Will Marcus keep the Volturi from killing her, and will the Cullens help him after their disastrous last meeting?
1. First Sighting

Second Chances

I do not own any characters other than Adriane Moore. I have a great respect for Stephanie Meyer, though she always left me wanting to hear more of Marcus. This is what I would want for him. ~Jen

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wear;

Though as for the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

Took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

~Robert Frost

First Sighting

Adriane Moore wadded through the crowded streets of Volterra, Italy. She looked to either side of her at the narrow shops and restaurants, scanning the busy square for a quieter place to rest and get her bearings. Finally, a secluded café caught her eye and she started pushing past people in the crowd. Adriane grimaced as someone stepped on her foot, and pushed past the perpetrator with a little more force than necessary. At last she made it to the café and took a seat in the far corner of the shop. Adriane sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned back into her chair.

It had been a long day. She'd spent the first half of the morning exploring the many tourist attractions that Volterra had to offer. She now had only one more stop to make before she went back to her hotel. The Palazzo dei Priori was said to be the prized possession of Volterra, which is why she'd avoided it until the very end of the afternoon.

Thinking back, she considered that waiting until later to see the infamous clock tower might not have been the wisest thing to do. The temperature had cooled considerably since this morning and it seemed to Adriane that everyone I the city was out enjoying the fine weather. It had taken her almost an hour just to reach the square from the North end of the city, though now she calculated that she was only a good ten minutes away from her final destination.

"What can I get you?" Adriane jumped as she turned to see who was talking to her. A handsome waiter was smiling down at her as he waited to take her order. His smile turned into a slight frown as she continued to stare at him. Adriane quickly shook her head. "Sorry", she replied at last, "you startled me. I didn't hear you walk up. I don't want anything, thank you". She didn't like the way the waiter continued to look at her. "Are you sure there's nothing you want", he persisted. Something about his tone of voice suggested that he was offering her more than a warm beverage to go. Anger flared inside of her like a tidal wave and she gave him a look of utter disdain. "I'm quite sure", she said through tight lips.

Adriane had once been told that when she was angry her eyes, which were an odd shade of gray, looked as cold and infallible as ice. She had always put some stock into this accusation, for people rarely looked her I the eye for long, especially when she was angry. This statement seemed to hold true for perverted Volterra waiters as well, for the boy's eyes widened when they met her own. He turned and walked abruptly away from her. "Stupid tourists", she heard him mutter.

Once again she leaned back into her chair. She was all too familiar with scenes such as this. To put it bluntly, Adriane Moore was otherworldly. She was tall for a woman, at the height of a perfect six feet. She had a willowy figure that was refined with muscle from years of activity, with large breasts and hips made even more prominent by her slim waste. However, it was not her body that made people do a double-take when first seeing her, but rather her face. She had an oval-type jaw line complete with a pronounced chin and highly defined cheekbones.

Adriane's slender nose was a perfect contrast to her full, naturally red lips. Her skin was porcelain white and her hair was a deep black, with a reddish hue seen only in the light, which was both wavy and curly. It was her eyes though, that made her face come together in a mask of beauty. As mentioned, her eyes were an unnatural stormy gray color, with flecks of dark blue surrounding her pupil.

She had always been self conscious about her appearance, even as a small child. She hated when people looked at her and saw only her outward appearance, for she was uncommonly smart as well. At the age of eighteen, Adriane was now not only finished with her primary school years, but with her college ones as well.

Both of her parents had died when she was but one year old. They had been incredibly wealthy British diplomats, leaving Adriane with more money than she knew what to do with, and a cantankerous old tutor who had kept a vigilant watch on her since infancy. Her mentor, as she liked to call her, was quite a slave to her education. By the age of eleven she had already finished primary school and had only a month ago finished college. She had to admit, she'd given her mentor a rough time the past eighteen years. He was always trying to tame her mischievous and outgoing nature, something that he never had accomplished.

All in all, Adriane had to admit she'd led a privileged life. She'd always gotten the best of everything, and was allowed to do what she wished as long as her studies were done. The best part had been the constant traveling. She'd been all around the world visiting different Countries and learning new cultures.

Italy had been one of her favorite places to visit as a child. When she'd decided to take a vacation and do some well earned traveling, Adriane knew that she'd want to come back and visit the sights. She'd gone from Venice to Rome, only at the last minute deciding to head to Volterra, one of the few places she had yet to visit.

It turned out to be well worth the trip, the huge stone walls that surrounded the city was one of the most well kept fortressed that Adriane had ever seen. This was only the second day she'd been here, and already she had been through every monument and museum, all but one that is.

Adriane sighed and stretched. She must have been there longer than she'd thought for the roads were clearer than they'd been before. Taking leave of the small café Adriane headed south. Within a few minutes she could see the outline of the Palazzo dei Priori towering above the rest of the city. Adriane smiled, it was even more beautiful than she'd imagined. It had been well worth the wait. The sun was going down now, throwing the city into a world of shadow and mystery. Adriane didn't mind this in the least, in fact she preferred the night to the blinding rays of the sun.

As she drew nearer to the tower she heard first the sound of running water, then the lilt of perhaps the most beautiful voice she'd ever heard. She pushed her way through the last couple of people in front of her and came to a stop at a fountain. The voice was coming from the woman directly in front of her, scantily dressed and recalling the history of the tower. As if sensing someone behind her she stopped talking and turned around, only to look right at Adriane.


	2. Captive

Captive

Adriane's first thought was that he woman in front of her must have been some kind of angel, sent to Earth by God himself. Now, Adriane was not religious by any standard, in fact she was an atheist, but at that moment she could think of no other explanation for the woman in front of her.

The next moment, however, something started to feel horribly wrong. It was as if an alarm went off inside Adriane's head, warning her to stay away from this woman. She slowly brought her eyes level with the other woman's and had to fight to keep herself from backing away. The eyes staring back at her were deep black, but that wasn't what scared Adriane; it was that surrounding the pupil were tiny, blood-red flecks of color. Worse still was the look that emanated towards her, as if she were prey about to be lead to slaughter.

All of this had run through Adriane's mind in a matter of seconds, but she had a feeling that the woman knew what she was thinking. Adriane was surprised when at the next moment she smiled at her, flashing her view of her brilliantly white teeth. "Hi", said the woman, "my name is Heidi. I was just telling the group about the history of the Palazzo die Priori. Would you care to join us?"

Heidi's face was the picture of innocence and warmth, but it didn't shake Adriane's feeling that something was wrong. "No, I'd rather not, thank you. I already know the history of the clock tower", she said in what she hoped passed for a nonchalant voice.

The woman furrowed her eyebrows like she was trying to figure out a particularly troublesome math problem. Adriane started to leave. She had to fight back the instinct to run away as she turned her back on the woman. She had only gone a few steps when she felt something ice cold take a hold of her arm. She turned her head only to see that it was Heidi who had grabbed her. Adriane's eyes widened as she looked down at her arm. Heidi had linked their lower arms together at the elbow and was already pulling her along at an incredibly fast pace. Adriane knew that it was the other woman's skin that was touching her, but to Adriane it felt as cold and hard as marble.

She tried to pull her hand away but found it impossible to shake such an iron grip. "Enough", said Heidi, "Now, you will do exactly as I say, do you understand?"

Here Adriane felt Heidi's already firm grasp squeeze her arm until she thought that her bones were going to snap. "Yes", she agreed quickly.

The pressure was instantly released. "Now, you're going to take a walk with me. Smile and look like you're enjoying the evening". Adriane did what she was told and smiled, secretly praying that someone would notice the panic flooding her eyes. No one did.

Heidi brought Adriane over to a dark, narrow alley a couple hundred feet away from the fountain. She already knew that the alley would lead to a dead end, and that some unlucky person would happen upon her dead body the following day. Her evil side hoped it was the waiter.

It turned out that Adriane was only half right. While there was a dead end at the end of the alleyway, there would be no body for anyone to find. No there anyway. Adriane wasn't expecting another person to be there, however the silhouette of a man came into her line of vision. A man who was every bit as gorgeous as the woman walking next to her.

"What happened", growled the man against the wall. And yes, he did growl; a low, terrifying sound that sent chills down Adriane's back.

"Hush Demetri", Heidi purred, "you're scaring our guest".

The man named Demetri stepped into view a mere three feet from where Adriane was standing. He was tall, with the same pale, inhumanly beautiful features as Heidi. He wore a dark gray cloak overtop of plain, non-descriptive clothes. He glanced at Adriane, then turned his attention on Heidi, apparently waiting for some kind of explanation.

"She knew something was wrong", she stated simply, "not everyone is blind to us Demetri". Heidi gave a sort sigh, "I couldn't let her get away".

Demetri turned his gaze back toward Adriane, who lifted her chin defiantly. If she was going to die, which she surely would, then she was going to go out bravely. Adriane Moore cowered to no one.

"Caius will be displeased", said Demetri, "he is very thirsty". He paused. "Bring her, he will have had one at least".

Demetri turned around and walked to the very end of the alleyway. He bent and lifted up a grate in the floor that Adriane hadn't noticed. She marveled at his strength, the grate must have weighed a couple hundred pounds. Yet he lifted it up as if…suddenly everything came together in her mind. The beautiful faces, the pale skin, inhuman strength, and Demetri had said that a man named Caius was thirsty; vampires. She was being lead into a coven of vampires.

Fear seeped into every fiber of her being, locking all her muscles into place. She couldn't have just happened upon a creepy serial killer; she had to run into a group of vampires. _And hey, while you're at it, just go ahead and ruin their dinner, _she thought sarcastically. _There has to be more than just the three of them, there were too many people back at the fountain for just them. _

Heidi was pushing her toward the grate. Adriane knew that trying to fight or run away would be pointless; she should conserve all of her strength. She knew that she would need it for whatever was to come, so she begrudgingly moved forward. Demetri hopped lightly into the hole. It took a couple seconds before she heard him land lightly on the ground. She gulped, knowing she couldn't make the same jump without breaking something.

Heidi pushed her up to the edge of the hole. "Jump", she said softly. Seeing no other alternative, Adriane stepped off the edge and into darkness.

~I promise the chapters will get longer. I haven't written anything in a while and i'm getting used to it again. Please send me reviews and tell me what you think!!!


	3. The Volturi

The Volturi

Expecting to of plunged to her death, Adriane was rather surprised when seconds after jumping down a dark hole she landed on a pair of stony arms. She gave a small gasp as she fell on Demetri, knowing that her back would now carry bruises from such a hard impact. _Might as well of let me fall on the ground_, she thought grumpily.

Demetri set her down quickly and moved away from her. Adriane thought vaguely that he had quite a euphoric smell to him before she remembered that she was in a dark tunnel with a hungry vampire. She took another step away from him just to be sure. She heard the creek of the grate above her being lowered, followed by the soft thud of Heidi landing right next to her. "Move", said Heidi, turning her around in what apparently was the right direction.

Adriane was surprised when after about ten minutes of walking they were still headed downhill. Any light from the street had long faded and she was moving much slower than she usually would have even if she had still been walking to her death. She heard an exasperated sigh from behind her that sounded very much like Demetri. "Well, excuse me that I can't see anything", she growled at the big vampire behind her, "I was unaware that my slowness of pace was such a disturbance to your usual way of life".

She was surprised when she heard a throaty chuckle from behind her. "You may prove to be interesting yet", he remarked, "We aren't usually blessed with people as…vocal as you appear to be".

"Hmm", she said sarcastically, "God, I can't think why. You seem like a good natured kind of guy, level headed, pleasing to the eye. Oh wait, let me think, it might be the whole dead body thing that gets to people, or the red eyes, or the fact that you, you know, drink blood on occasion. But of course, apart from that, I think you're pretty much set".

"Ahh", he sighed dramatically, "you have guessed well. Pity. You're quite amusing, almost worth keeping around".

Heidi laughed lightly; it sounded like a chorus of chimes swaying in the wind. _Jeeze_, Adriane thought_, as if they need anything else to make them more inviting, they have to have pleasant voices too. Don't mind that they're bringing you into a dark tunnel with no means of escape, just so long as they can lead you there with a voice as sweet as honey_. She gave a mental snort just thinking about it.

They had finally reached the end of the tunnel, which was barred by an iron gate. Demetri moved forward and lifted it open, again, with a mere push of his arm. Adriane quickly ducked by him, walking into a brightly lit room with walls once again made of stone. This room was only about 20 feet across and they quickly made their way through the other door at the end of the hall. What Adriane saw next was definitely not what she'd expected of a typical vampire lair.

They were in an office type hallway with bright industrial- type lighting. Heidi led the way to an elevator shaft. Adriane rolled her eyes. _Who knew hell had its own personal elevator? Of course, we're going down again. Would it kill them _(no pun intended)_ to have something closer to street level?_

The doors opened to a room more surprising than the last one. Adriane walked into something that felt very much like a lawyer's office to her. The walls were paneled with wood, and leather couches were decoratively assembled throughout the space. They even had a receptionist at a desk in the middle of the room. As she drew closer she noticed that said receptionist was staring at her with very human eyes. Adriane gave her a startled look. _What's she doing just standing there?! Doesn't she see that they're going to kill me_, Adriane mentally shouted.

"No luck today", the receptionist asked.

"Oh no, plenty of willing contestants, if not for this troublesome girl", Heidi said in a nonchalant voice.

Adriane could barely conceive her outrage. The woman in front of her had absolutely no care that she was about to be eaten by a bunch of evil vampires. "Traitor", she hissed at her as she walked by.

"Hmm", Adriane heard her say, "Quite the lively one isn't she?"

"You have no idea".

At last Adriane was shepherded into the last room on her guided tour of the underground. _Well_, she thought, _at least it looks fitting for a vampire…or many_, many _vampires_. The room she entered was circular in shape and made of stone. _It's probably the huge turret_. Looking around she counted thirty-two hungry vampires staring at her with looks ranging from anger to curiosity, though there were definitely more angry faces.

"What's this Heidi", asked a vampire who stood in the middle of the room. Adriane sized him up as she walked toward him, coming to a stop about six feet away from him. He appeared to be the leader of the group, so she assumed he was Caius. He looked…old in a way. His skin was almost translucently pale, and looked very delicate, unlike the others that stood around him. He had shoulder length, jet black hair and a whispery voice, barely more than a sigh. Two figures sitting in high-backed chairs, resembling thrones more than anything else, caught her eye.

They both looked similar to the one standing in front of her. Adriane took back her initial assessment of the dark-haired man being the leader of the group, for both of the men looked to be as old as he was. One had snowy white hair and a sour expression on his pallid face, while the other had black hair like the first man and looked extremely…bored.

"She figured out what I was", Heidi replied demurely, "I had to choose between her and the others. I chose to go after her. We'll just have to wait until tomorrow night to satisfy our needs. I assumed that being the reason for our inconvenience; she could serve as a kind of…amusement to Caius, as he was most looking forward to this evening's festivities. Or, if _you_ wish…" she trailed off suggestively. Adriane tried not to think about what Heidi had in mind.

Heidi walked casually toward the man and touched him lightly on the hand. A mere second went by before she went to stand next to Demetri at the far wall. The man's eyes lit up when he touched the woman's hand, and he turned to look at her curiously.

_What the hell???_

"Why Heidi, my darling", exclaimed the vampire, "We must not be so rude to our guest! Is it her fault for being so perceptive?" He walked, or more glided, over to Adriane with a broad smile on his face, revealing his perfectly white, sharp teeth. "It is unfortunate to be true, that we cannot appease our thirst", here his voice was filled with sorrow, "but why not make the best of the situation?"

Adriane raised her eyebrow and gave the man an unbelieving look. His mood seemed to carry from moment to moment, following a chaotic array of thoughts. _Perhaps you get a bit flighty when you've lived as long as he has?_ She pondered the thought until his question roused her back into the present.

"Tell me dear, what is your name?" _Yes, he's definitely mental_.

"Adriane", Adriane replied questioningly.

"Adriane", he cried, "what a splendid name. And tell me Adriane, what be your age?"

"I'm eighteen, not that it should be any concern of yours".

The man went on as if she hadn't said anything at all. "Please excuse me Adriane, I haven't been very proper, let me introduce myself. My name is Aro. Let's see, let's see", he gazed about the room, "you obviously know the ones who brought you in. Ahh", he gestured to the two men sitting behind him, the white haired man looking at him in with an expression as incredulous as Adriane felt, the other looking as unperturbed as ever, "the one with the white hair is Caius, and the other is Marcus".

Aro continued about the room, telling her pointless names that she had no interest in trying to memorize. At last he ran out of vampires, and settled his gaze back on Adriane. "There, now we all know each other".

"Splendid", she said, "Now I can identify the one who kills me. I definitely feel better".

"Kill you!" exclaimed Aro, "why do you think we would want to kill you?"

"Because you're vampires and that's what you…do?" ventured Adriane.

"Well yes, that's what we may do to a guest of lesser standard than yourself, however I must say you have sparked an interest in me, my dear. There are very few people who would come to us in such a defiant manner and with such a lucid vocabulary". Aro paused and laughed, a look of delight filling his papery face.

"Oh, well, happy to of been of service then. It's not every day you get compliments from one as…dead as you". Adriane heard a couple of low chuckles from around the room.

"Awfully full of herself isn't she", someone hissed.

"Mind making yourself known, whoever just said that?"

What Adriane thought was a child stepped forward from beside Caius's chair. She came to stand beside Aro, just barely reaching his shoulder. Now that she was closer, Adriane could see that her face looked older than her body did, though not by much.

"And what are you, ten?" she scoffed. "If someone's going to insult me, I'd at least rather them be my height".

Jane snarled and started to move toward her. "Jane", Aro warned.

"Master, she is of no use to you. Let me kill her". Her red eyes bored into Adriane's blue ones.

"I said no. There is something…interesting about her. I wish to know more about her before I make my decision. Go back to your place".

Jane did as she was told, backing up to stand by Caius's chair, never once taking her eyes off of Adriane.

"Aro, what is the meaning of this!" demanded Caius. He had a disgusted look on his face. "I grow weary of your fanciful ideals".

"I simply wish to know more. Do you deny her appeal?" Aro questioned.

"No human holds any appeal to me" he spat.

"No wonder you all are a somber lot. I'd be depressed too if I was stuck with him for eternity", mused Adriane. "In fact, the only one here that's even halfway tolerable is Marcus".

Aro gave her a surprised look, his eyes wide. He turned towards Marcus, who was staring in the opposite direction. "Do you hear that Marcus?" Aro asked delightedly, "you seem to have won over our guest".

Marcus slowly turned his head to look at Adriane, who gazed back with a look mixed between fascination and disdain. His milky eyes appraised Adriane for half of a heartbeat, before he turned his head back to the wall. "You are mistaken Aro", breathed Marcus, his voice even lighter than that of his brethren, "I doubt any could win over one such as her, and I have no interest in attempting such a feat".

Aro was gazing at Marcus with a look of wonder, apparently unused to hearing Marcus voice his opinions. Adriane was beginning to think that he didn't talk at all. She was just about to ask him this when she was interrupted by Caius.

"If you want to keep her, keep her. But perhaps we could postpone this discussion until after we've all eaten. If you keep her here much longer you won't have anyone to question".

Adriane looked about the room. Everyone was beginning to get restless; even the ever welcoming Aro was hovering closer to her than necessary. The only person who didn't seem affected by her presence was the standoffish vampire sitting next to Caius. Aro seemed to be thinking the same thing as Adriane for he went over to stand next to Marcus.

"Brother", he ventured, "since you seem the least affected by Miss Adriane here, and though you may think otherwise you appear to be the most…welcoming of the whole, would you care to take her to the guest rooms. She shall of course have the best of our selection, and if you would please inform Gianna to have meals brought up to her, and perhaps a fresh change of clothes".

Marcus seemed neither thrilled nor displeased by the prospects of bringing Adriane to her room. He merely stood up and began walking toward the door. _He is very tall, much bigger than he looks sitting down._

"Adriane", Aro called, "we will of course have your bags brought to you later tomorrow evening, though we really should grab a bit of breakfast ourselves first!" He paused to laugh at his little joke. "Do not be so sour my dear, you will find that we are quite hospitable to our guests!"

"Great", she muttered, turning to follow Marcus. He was waiting for her at the door, looking more like a wraith than a vampire. When she was little more than a foot away he turned around and walked out the door into what Adriane assumed was their lobby, not pausing to see if she was following. With an exasperated sigh, Adriane made her way through the door, not knowing what awaited her on the other side.


	4. Hope Remains

Hope Remains

Marcus was already stepping up to the receptionist's desk when Adriane came through the door. She assumed that it was Gianna, and was pleased to see surprise in her eyes as she looked first to Marcus, then back to Adriane. _People obviously don't last very long around here_, she thought to herself.

Marcus repeated what Aro had said in a dull voice, not bothering to get a response from Gianna before he walked to the elevator. Adriane just barely made it through the doors before they closed in her face. "Would you mind slowing down some?" she complained, "it's not like you don't have enough time on your hands".

Marcus gave no hint that he'd even heard her, though he did slow his stride down enough that she could keep up with him. An awkward silence followed on Adriane's' part. She coughed and picked at the fabric of her sleeve. "…Sooo", she said, "Have you been here long?"

She had no idea what vampires liked to talk about in their down time, though apparently she hadn't asked the right question because Marcus didn't answer her. Instead he continued to stare unseeingly down the hallway. He brought her through a small entryway that opened up into a sitting room. Marcus turned right and continued down a hallway lined with ornate wooden doors.

"Wow", she muttered, "is this were you guys sleep?" she asked. A long pause followed her question until Adriane thought that he wasn't going to answer her again.

"No", he finally said.

"Oh, so you're talking to me now".

Pause. "No".

"What, am I not good enough to talk to someone such as you, oh Lord of the Underworld, oh Ruler of Nightmares. I shall bow before you and beg for your favor", here she gave a low bow, bending all the way down to the floor. "Shall I kiss the hems of your cloak as well?"

A very long pause ensued. "Do you usually talk to your food?" he asked.

Adriane might have laughed if the meaning behind his words wasn't so grotesque. "Well," she challenged, "I don't usually come across food that can talk back".

"Yes", he stated simply.

_What a strange man_. He finally brought her to the last door at the end of the hallway. He turned the handle and switched the light on for her. Aro hadn't been lying when he'd said they treated their guests well. The room Adriane walked into looked like a hotel suite you'd find in New York City.

"This will be the room you stay in", Marcus breathed. He turned to go but Adriane rushed to him on impulse, backing up again as he slowly turned around to face her. Best not to tempt a vampire, if you know what I mean.

"Wait", she said, hating the desperation she heard in her own voice. All kidding aside, Adriane was terrified that she'd never make it out of the high-end crypt she'd walked into. "How long are they going to keep me here?"

The longest pause of all occurred after this question, making Adriane dread hearing the answer. "As long as Aro is kept…entertained".

Adriane felt like she'd been hit in the stomach. "So there really is no hope then? It's either act like a party favor or die?"

She reached for the edge of the king sized bed and sat down on it, not trusting her own feet. "They will either kill you or change you", Marcus said slowly, "Which they will choose I do not know. Either way, you are their slave".

"What do you mean by_ their_ slave?" she cried, "You're a part of this too! In fact you're just as important as Aro aren't you?"

She knew that she was desperate, but Adriane couldn't help but look at Marcus's blank, emotionless face. He met and held her gaze for a long time. His eyes were filmed over, almost as if he suffered from cataracts.

"No", he said at last, "there was once a time when I was as powerful as Aro, but long has that day come to pass. I stay because I have nowhere else to go". He paused and looked away from her, almost seeming surprised at his own words, which Adriane could tell right away were true. There was a certain complacent edge to his voice, as if he'd resigned himself to this fate long ago.

"I am just as much a prisoner as you are". This was said so quietly, Adriane wasn't even sure if she'd heard it.

"If you're not happy, then you shouldn't stay", she replied.

Marcus turned away from her again, the look on his face never changing. "I must go".

He gave her a small nod. "Rest well", he said. Adriane was left staring at an empty wall, where a moment ago Marcus had stood, only to disappear before she'd even had time to blink.

Adriane slipped off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. The brave face that she'd put on slipped away and a look of despair crept into her eyes. She sat trembling on the floor for a couple seconds, before finally letting the tears fall down her face. "What have I gotten myself into?" she whispered.

The next morning Adriane awoke cold and huddled on an unfamiliar floor. It took her a couple of seconds before she remembered where she was. Horrible flashes from the night before swam through her mind.

Adriane shook her head, trying to get the images to go away. She hauled herself up off the floor, almost falling down again from the pain in her back. She grimaced and lifted up her shirt. As she'd expected, she had bruises on her back from where she'd landed on Demetri. She looked about the room for a door other than the one she'd entered through the previous night. Seeing it on the far left corner of the room she made her way towards it, wincing with every step.

Pleased to find what she was looking for, Adriane hobbled over to the large bathtub and turned on the hot water. Stripping off her worn clothes she stepped into the tub and let the hot water soothe her aching muscles. Finally, she turned the water off and looked around. A bar of soap, along with shampoo and conditioner were sitting on the side of the tub. After she was clean, Adriane emptied and then refilled the bath back up before leaning against the wall. She sighed and closed her eyes.

When Adriane woke up the water was cold. She quickly drained the water and got the towel from the side of the tub. She looked down at her soiled clothes and decided not to put them back on.

A fresh pair of clothes was waiting for her in her room, as was a bagel and a tall glass of orange juice. She'd half expected blood. Adriane wondered what time it was. She looked around for some sort of clock but found none, mentally cursing herself for not bringing her cell phone with her. Both cell phone and charger were back on the nightstand in the Hotel she was staying in.

Adriane made to put on her clothes but stopped. Instead she picked up the tiny white flower she found on top of the pile. She ruffled through the remaining articles of clothing looking for some kind of explanation but found nothing else. Bemused, she sat down and looked at the delicate flower in her hands. Without knowing why, she suddenly felt a small ray of hope.

~Well, writting a narrative for Marcus is proving to be quite fun. He's so different from any other character in the story. Anyway, thanks to the people who've reviewed. Please send me some more of your opinions, I love hearing your imput. -Jen


	5. Questions

Questions

Marcus came to her later that evening, looking as forlorn and withdrawn as the first day she'd met him.

"Hello sunshine", she said wistfully, "come to make my day even brighter with your welcoming and ever chatty self?"

"No", he replied, standing off to the side with an inhuman stillness. _God, can't a vampire take a joke?_

She looked about the room uncomfortably; slowly one minute turned into two, which turned into three, and still Marcus stood looking at her with his unchanging face, nothing less than a human statue.

"Well", she finally asked, if not a bit shrilly, "why are you here?"

Pause.

"Aro would like to see you".

It was the answer that she'd been afraid of; throughout the afternoon she'd been anticipating the time she'd need to confront him again. Though not knowing how many other vampires would be there, she doubted the other two paper-faced vampires would be without their guard.

"Why can't he come to me", she sniffed, "he doesn't seem incapable of making the trip". She eyed Marcus up as she spoke. "It would be much more efficient than sending you to do his bidding".

"Aro did not send me", was the reply. "I had assumed that of the others here, I would seem less…threatening to you. I apologize for my mistake, it will not happen again". He dipped his head in her direction, but not before she'd caught a look in his eyes that had never been there before. Adriane couldn't quite put a label on it, but if she'd had to guess she'd of marked it as frustration.

"No", she started to say before sighing and looking up at the ceiling. She hesitated, trying to phrase her words carefully, "I…appreciate the sentiment". She shifted her gaze to the floor, for it wasn't often that she was made to feel disrespectful and unappreciative, which is exactly what she was feeling at this moment.

"If there is a next time, I….wouldn't mind it if you came for me". Adriane could feel her face go slightly pink, and cursed herself for it. _It's not like you're asking him on a date or anything, for Christ's sake he's a vampire that's bringing you to a bunch of other vampires who may or may not want to eat you!_

He took a moment before answering, which Adriane was beginning to realize was his normal manner of speaking. "If that is what you wish".

Now it was her turn to pause. "It is", she said quietly.

He gave a small nod before straightening to his full height, which Adriane had only just realized was much taller than her own. She knew that she was tall for a woman, but Marcus all but towered over her. She judged his height to be about 6'6, 6'7, which was quite remarkable for someone who was probably born in the 16 to 1700's.

"If you won't get offended by me asking, exactly _how_ old are you?"

Her question was met by silence. He regarded her for a minute. Apparently seeing something in her eyes, he decided to answer her. "I will soon be marking my three thousand, four hundredth and eighty-seventh year".

At this Marcus turned and began to exit the room, leaving the door open behind him as a symbol that she needed to follow. Adriane's brain had currently undergone a state of shock. She was unable to wrap her mind around the endless procession of years that Marcus must have seen.

_3,487 years??? How could anyone live that long and not suffer a day of age? _Though if she thought about it, Marcus did look somewhat older, for a vampire of course. The papery skin and cataract filled eyes must have been a sign of how old he was. _Marcus, Caius, and Aro are the only ones who look like that, _she thought_, the others must all be much younger_. She had been right in her assumption of which were the most powerful in the group; however they also appeared to be the weakest.

Pondering this, she rushed out of the room and ran headlong into Marcus, who had apparently decided to wait for her instead of going straight back to the others. It was like walking into a solid stone wall. A very big, human shaped wall. She bounced back from the collision with a sharp exhale of breath. "Sorry", she squeaked, daring to look up at him with her shocked eyes.

Not only was he incredibly hard, he was also ice cold. She assumed that's where the whole dead body thing came in, though it was still unnerving to actually witness. Marcus looked down at her with a blank face; however, she once again caught a flash of emotion in his eyes before it was gone again, lost in the emptiness of his thoughts.

"Yes", was all he said before turning around and walking away. Adriane noticed that he kept the same stride he'd used with her the night before, obviously remembering that her pitiful human legs could not keep up with his own.

"Okay", she said, "are you _really_ as old as you say you are?"

Pause. "Yes".

"Hmm", she muttered. "You must have been around during some pretty amazing points in history then?"

"Yes".

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

She sighed. "Why are you so withdrawn?" she asked, "It's not like I…" She paused, unwilling to go on. She was about to say 'It's not like I have anyone else to talk to', though she didn't want to give any of them the satisfaction of seeing a weakness in her. Adriane followed Marcus in silence for the next couple of minutes, having retreated inside of her mind.

Even though she hadn't said it out loud, Marcus must have guessed what she had been getting at. "I" pause, "do not wish to be a…party favor?" He ventured.

Despite the sour mood she was in, Adriane had to laugh at his comment. She had the distinct impression that that was the first time he'd ever said those particular words before.

"No, I suppose you don't. I'm sorry". What was even more surprising to Adriane was that she actually meant it.

They walked in silence for a while. Marcus led her through the small sitting room they'd entered the previous night, and turned down the hallway that would lead them to the elevator.

"Perhaps" he said quietly, "you would tell me about yourself?"

She looked up at him in surprise, continuing to stare at his face long after the question had been asked.

"You…have hobbies, no?" Doubt seeped into the end of his words.

Adriane blinked and looked away. "Yes", she snapped, "of course I have hobbies". She swore loudly in her mind, annoyed at again looking like a fool in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she continued on in a more reasonable tone. "Umm, well I like to read. That's probably my most profound interest. I have a huge library at home that's filled with books, ranging from all different genres and ages." Her face brightened as she told him about her favorite authors and the books that they've written.

"Jane Austin is probably one of the best", she mused, "I didn't have much patience with Sense and Sensibility; the girls were all lacking a certain appeal that I had seen in her other works. But Pride and Prejudice is a classic. The first time I read the book, even before I'd found out how it ended, I'd all but fallen in love with Mr. Darcy. Despite his crude nature there was something about him that kind of drew you in. Do you know what I mean?"

She paused because she had the feeling that he could not, in fact, understand her infatuation with Mr. Darcy. A smile appeared on her face at the thought. _No, most definitely not_.

Her thoughts were confirmed with the quiet, "No", that followed. "Though I have read the book."

Adriane looked up at him again. "Really? You don't exactly strike me as the type to read Jane Austin".

Pause. "I have read many books. It is a way to…pass the time".

"Ahh", she replied, "well, on top of that I like to draw, listen to music, and play sports, although all of this is assuming I have any time on my hands. My mentor keeps me busy with my studies".

"Your" pause, "mentor?"

She proceeded to tell him about her parents, and how they had died, leaving her with her crotchety old tutor. Marcus would make a small exclamation every now and then, but he mostly just stared straight ahead and never did he offer any information about himself.

"…so that's how I grew up" she finished, having told him the barest details of her life.

"And your mentor, he did not come with you to Volterra?"

"No, though maybe if he had I wouldn't be in this trouble", she sighed.

"Perhaps", he said. He looked as if he were pondering her previous comment.

"It is also possible that you would be in the same position".

"Yes, overall I'm glad he's not here. I would hate it if something happened to him. At least this way he may think I've been kidnapped, not taken hostage by a group of vampires".

"He will miss you", he said. It was not a question.

By then they were walking through the lobby towards the door that led to the stone turret. Adriane shivered as she came to a stop before the entrance. She looked to her side at Marcus, who gave her a faint nod. Pushing aside the door, he made room for Adriane to step around him before following her inside.

"Ahh Adriane, we've been waiting."


	6. Fear

Fear

Panic threatened to overwhelm Adriane when she first walked into the room. Aro and Caius were sitting on two of the throne-like chairs, their personal guard standing in a semi-circle around them. Of the thirty-two vampires she had seen the previous night, only eight were present, Marcus not included. Somehow the lesser amount of people in the room felt more threatening.

Marcus glided over to the chair on the left side of Aro, taking what apparently was his usual seat. Adriane was now completely isolated. From a predatory standpoint she assumed that this was the most logical choice; make your prey fell small and helpless and they'll be more susceptible to interrogation. Fighting down the intense urge to run, Adriane straightened to her full height and lifted her chin. _No damn vampire is going to belittle me_, she thought.

Sensing her defiance, Aro's lips spread into a thin smile. "Adriane darling", he sighed, "tell me, did you sleep well?"

Adriane bristled at the inquiry. "Not particularly", she said through tight lips.

"Come now, my dear, don't be so harsh". Adriane didn't reply, just continued to stare stubbornly back at him.

He sighed. "As you know, I have taken a slight interest in you, much to the chagrin of my brothers. I would like to hear a little about your life, as well as the opinions you carry, which I have no doubt will prove to be…interesting".

"Is this a vampire's rendition of a job interview?" Adriane snarled.

Aro laughed lightly. "You could say that. I am curious, what_ would_ you say if I was to offer you a chance at immortality?"

"I suppose the term _bite me_ wouldn't really help in this situation?" she ventured. Adriane heard chuckling from one of the members of the guard. Turning her head in the direction of the sound she saw Demetri give her a quick wink. Forcing down a gesture of her own (you can use your own imagination for that one) she turned her gaze back to Aro.

"Then I shall simply have to hope you change your mind", he replied. His voice carried a certainty that told Adriane he thought she would reconsider.

"Now then, perhaps you'd care to start with your family. Where exactly is it that you call home?"

Adriane recalled her brief family history much in the same way that she had to Marcus, starting with the death of her parents and stemming out from there. She told them that she had always been headstrong, a characteristic that had failed to leave her in later years. Aro listened to her in complete silence, stopping only when she started discussing her education.

"You say that you have already finished your schooling?" he questioned.

"Yes".

"You must be quite intelligent to have accomplished such a feat" he remarked.

"I am not a fool", she said tersely.

"No, I daresay you are not". He paused for a moment, considering his next question carefully.

"And what of your physical skills? Do you possess any talents, anything worth…noting?"

"I have always been a quick learner. It has never taken me long to master my interests. I learned to play numerous instruments simply by watching others play".

Aro's eyebrows shot up at her last comment. "You say that you were able to…copy… others as a way of learning? How very interesting". Marcus slowly turned his head to look at Aro, his eyes unreadable.

"Yes", Aro whispered, "how very interesting". He continued to ponder this information for quite some time, until at last he got up and made his way towards Adriane, who backed up in response to his advance.

"It is such a shame that my dear friend Eleazar isn't with us anymore…he would have been able to tell with such ease…" he gave a dramatic sigh, "however I wonder". Aro drew closer to Adriane, holding out his hands in what she guessed was his way of showing her he meant her no harm.

"It would give me great pleasure, dear, if you would allow me to touch naught but your hand. You see, there are those of use that possess certain…talents, similar to that of your own kind. I myself am one of the few lucky souls that inherited such gifts".

Aro's eyes had bored into hers the whole time, beseeching her to trust him; all she had to do was lift her hand towards his outstretched fingers. She found her arm rising of its own accord, and she knew that she was powerless to stop him. Out of the very corner of her eye, Adriane saw Marcus shift in his chair, his hands curling to tighten around the arms of his seat.

Adriane jerked her arm back, her fingers only inches from Aro's. "You most certainly cannot", she said breathlessly. She hugged her arms tightly around her torso, keeping them as far away from Aro as possible.

He stood looking at her, a look of disappointment and annoyance on his face. Adriane knew that if he wanted to, he could do anything that he wanted to her and she would be powerless to stop him. Aro's face slowly molded back into its usual charm, and he gave her what was supposed to be a gentle smile.

"Not to worry, my dear, perhaps another day. I have hope for you yet. I shall council with my brothers on where your fate shall lie".

Marcus suddenly materialized at Aro's side. "If you are finished", he breathed, "then I shall take her back to her room".

"Yes", said Aro, "yes, we are done for today". He swept to the other side of the room and settled himself down in his chair, lost in thought. Caius was watching her closely with his cold, detached eyes, a frown forming on his face.

Marcus turned towards her. "Come", he said.

Adriane followed him wordlessly out of the chamber, knowing that one way or another she had just sealed her future, vampire insigne and all. The walk back to her room was a quiet one, though she was too lost in thought to give it much notice.

Marcus opened her door for her. He turned to go when she walked inside, already starting to close the door.

"Marcus?" she called softly.

The door stopped mid-swing and remained perfectly still. "Can you spare me a minute?"

For a brief moment Adriane wasn't sure if he had left or not, then the door was closed and a hulking figure was looming in front of her. His red eyes were staring directly at her this time, not lost in some far off place.

"Can you at least sit or something?" she said, "You're just on the brink of creeping me out".

Marcus hesitated, and then stiffly sat down on the opposite side of the bed, as far away from Adriane as possible. This did not go unnoticed. "My apologies", he said finally, "I did not wish to cause you distress".

She snorted. "Trust me; you are the least of my worries at the moment". Adriane shifted her body so that she was facing him. "I want you to tell me the truth. Please". She played with the throw on the bed, avoiding Marcus's gaze. "Aro wants to change me into one of you, doesn't he?" she asked casually.

Pause. "Yes".

"I see, well, that was easy". Adriane, still playing with the throw, had to put her hands in her lap they were shaking so hard. An unbidden tear fell slowly down her face. She wiped it away quickly.

"How long do I have?"

He hesitated again, not willing to answer. "Aro", he began slowly, "will want to make the change right away. He is…excited by the prospects. We will hold a council later this evening. I will vote against the change". Adriane's head jerked upward.

"Do not be relieved, my word has long been met with indifference. If convinced that you can be controlled to do his bidding, Aro will have Caius's vote".

This was probably the longest speech he'd ever made; it was a shame it had to be about her untimely death. "Thank you for being honest. I would rather know what's coming than be left in the dark".

Marcus sat watching her for a long time, and finally she brought her eyes upward to meet his. He looked like he was trying to figure out a puzzle, a strained expression on his usually smooth face; however this was not what drew Adriane's attention. It was the look of pain in his eyes, a look so filled with agony that her own heart started to ache.

"What's wrong?" she gasped.

His eyes slowly closed. "This", he said, "does not happen twice, not to our kind".

Adriane had no clue what he was talking about. Whatever demons haunted Marcus would stay locked up inside of him, at least for the time being. One minute he was sitting on the bed, the next he was standing in the open doorway. "Goodnight. Get whatever sleep you can", he said hurriedly.

And with that he was gone.

Though she had just been sentenced to a life of damnation, it was Marcus's rejection that followed her through the remainder of the night. It was a very long time before she got any sleep.

What felt like mere seconds later, Adriane found herself being woken up by a cold, hard hand. She sat up in a confused state, not being able to see the room around her. She reached for the light by the side of the bed and managed to turn it on. Upon turning around Adriane was met by Marcus's milky red eyes, not but a few inches away from hers. They looked brighter than she had ever seen them before.

"Get dressed", he said quickly. He pulled away from the bed and started to gather her things from about the room, throwing them in her open suitcase. He flew into the bathroom, a mere streak of color, and came out with his arms laden in soap and shampoo.

"What the hell do you think you're doing", she cried. Fearful that he had lost his mind, for he did look half crazed, she scooted her body up to the headboard, pulling the sheets with her as she went.

He turned slowly around. "Saving you", was his reply.

Adriane continued to stare at him, her mind working slowly with a mixture of shock and lack of sleep. Finally, she pulled herself out of bed.

"Oh, well then, you could have said that in the first place". She didn't bother getting dressed, merely threw on a sweater that was at the top of the suitcase.

"No", he said quietly. He gestured towards a long, silken dress at the foot of the bed. "Put that on. This will be…difficult enough as is. We must try to confuse the scent". He turned his back on her, indicating that she needed to change. Grumbling, she stripped off her clothes in place of the dress, which was silky and cold to the touch, offering her body no warmth.

Shivering, she put her hand on Marcus's arm. "Not that I don't, you know, appreciate what you're doing, but why are you trying to save me?"

Marcus extracted himself from her touch, moving a couple steps back. Looking guardedly back at her he whispered, "I hardly know myself".

Grabbing her suitcase with one arm, he walked over to the light. With its dying rays Adriane was pulled out of the door and into complete darkness, with nothing but Marcus's cold hand to guide her.


	7. Escape

Escape

Adriane flew down the dark hallway, partially dragged by Marcus. "Slow down!" she gasped, unable to keep up with him. A painful stitch was forming in her side and her breathing was short and irregular. Marcus showed no sign of slowing down; her pleading only quickened his pace. "Goddamnit Marcus, stop!"

Adriane was forced to a sudden halt. Her arm was jerked so hard she spun around, slamming against Marcus's stone cold chest. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, but she could feel his face was close to hers. For the first time since she had met him she was truly afraid of him; fear rolled down her back in thick, ugly waves.

"Time is not a luxury we have…" he said, his voice deathly calm, "they will be coming for you soon and while I am not the most…remarkable among our group, they will be sure to notice my absence. Of this I assure you. Tell me, how long do you think it will take them to put two and two together?"

When she didn't answer he released his hold of her arm. Adriane rubbed the spot where his hand had been, knowing that she would have another bruise to add to her growing collection. "I apologize for my temper." he remarked statically, "Barring this I am_ trying_ to save your life. Some form of cooperation on your part would be welcome".

"I'm sorry, I just…."

"Yes", he said.

He stood looking at her for a few moments. She assumed he was assessing her state of mind; it would do neither one of them any good if she were to lose it. Adriane knew that for whatever reasons of his own, Marcus was risking his own life to save hers. The Volturri would not be kind to those who betrayed them. She heard a sigh in the darkness.

"If you are willing, I would carry you". Adriane was so surprised she didn't answer him, just stared out into the pitch-black hallway. "It would be much…faster", he pressed.

"Umm…okay?" Immediately she felt his hands on her wrists, the next second she was flipped over and resting on his back, his figure bent slightly so that she couldn't fall. He brought her arms around his head to hold onto his neck. Adriane couldn't exactly say she was comfortable. For one she was resting on the back of a vampire, and while said vampire was human-like in shape, he might as well of been a granite rock. Then there was, of course, the fact that she was very close to his teeth. He had shown a remarkable amount of self control thus far, but Adriane didn't want to test how far she could push him.

The only way she could tell Marcus had started to move was the cool air blowing past her face. His upper body remained completely still, his breathing regular. But they were definitely moving. In mere seconds they were at the elevator and heading, you guessed it, downward.

Adriane hadn't been to this level before. It was nothing short of a dungeon, with stone walls and dim, half melted candlesticks in iron holders; a plus she hadn't expected. At least she could see now.

"What is this place?" she whispered, ducking her head down close to his ear.

"This is where our more…permanent residents live. We must be very quiet, and very fast. They will be able to smell you." Adriane didn't think stealth would be a problem for him; her primitive hearing picked up no noise when he moved. But hey, maybe in vampire standards he was considered a klutz.

Marcus brought her to a spiral staircase at the end of the hall. Looking up, Adriane felt like it went on forever. He turned his head sideways to look at her, slowly bringing his finger up to his lips. She needed no more warning than that. He put his stony hands on her arms and took off like a bat out of hell.

Adriane had to bite back her initial urge to scream. Now that she could actually see what was happening around her, everything was a blur. She didn't think it was humanly possible for something to move that fast. Then again, Marcus wasn't human.

Just when she thought that she would either puke or pass out, Marcus stopped. Remarkably, his breathing was still even, as if he hadn't exerted himself at all. They were standing at the very top of the stone turret. On either side of them was a wall, running the entire length of the city. Long ago it had been used for protection; now it was nothing more than a popular tourist attraction.

"Is there anything exceedingly breakable in this?" he asked. Adriane saw that he was indicating her suitcase and shook her head. Marcus stepped to the edge of the turret and let go of the suitcase. A couple of seconds passed before she heard a dull_ thud_, nearly a hundred feet below them.

"Hold on very tightly", he warned. He leaned his body forward, preparing himself to jump.

"What?" she whispered hoarsely. "Marcus, please, you can't be serious!"

His only reply was stepping off of the ledge. Adriane locked her body around Marcus's as tight as possible, not caring whether she choked him or not. If anything she probably _was _trying to choke him. The ground was coming up fast and Adriane prepared herself for the impact.

Marcus landed lightly on the ground, not even jarring her. Adriane continued to hold onto him long after was necessary, unable to quite get over the shock of jumping off a hundred foot wall. Sensing her distress Marcus gently unbent first her legs, then her arms. He turned to face her, a slight frown creasing his marble features.

"You are well" he said, forcing her chin up with his finger. She continued to stare at him with unfocused eyes.

"Adriane", he said quietly. It was the first time she had ever heard him use her name, and it brought her out of her reprieve.

"Don't…" she snarled "ever…do that again! I could murder you, I should murder you!" She stopped, a sudden realization hitting her. "How do you kill a vampire anyway?"

"You must tear them apart and set fire to the pieces".

"…Oh, well…just be lucky I don't have any matches". Adriane went to pick up her poor suitcase, which was starting to look the worse for wear, but Marcus beat her to it and hefted it under one arm.

Adriane shifted her gaze skyward and let out a long sigh, fighting for composure. She didn't function very well without sleep and her nerves were already on end. "Where are we going to now?" she asked him, keeping her head up. The sky was still an inky black, dotted with an occasional star.

"We must make our way as far from here as possible…as to where that is exactly…I'm not sure".

This statement brought her right back down to earth, slamming her in the dirt and rubbing her face in the mud. "You aren't exactly…sure? You mean to tell me you just got me out of eternal damnation, only to tell me you don't have any kind of plans past this point!"

There was a long pause following her outburst. "There was not much time to execute a plan. This was a sort of…last minute decision".

"Oh splendid, now we're both going to die!"

"You are forgetting one of our most prominent advantages. You said it yourself last night…I am much older than the ones who will be hunting us." Adriane's eyes widened at the mention of being hunted but Marcus held his hand up, waiting to finish. "I am much older than them. I possess invaluable experiences from a life that was much crueler than the world you live in now. They will not harm you. We also have the added advantage of surprise. It will take Aro a long time to get over such a deception."

Adriane had never heard him talk so much in one stretch of time. Though for all his promises of protection she couldn't make herself feel at ease. Too much had happened in the past couple of days; too much waited for her in the near future. She had always wanted to go on some kind of adventure, always wanted to experience something that was bigger than her. But for all her daydreams she had never imagined that she would be involved in something like this.

Marcus was watching her carefully. _He probably regrets saving me already_, she though. _Get it together Adriane, you can worry later_.

"Well, we better get going. I don't want to be around when Aro hears his new plaything has gone missing".

"Yes, it would be best…if we were not here when that time comes". Adriane followed Marcus down the path, heading away from Volterra. It was sure to be a very long night.

~Sorry it's taken so long to update. I've been pretty busy the past week or so. Drop me a few lines and let me know how I'm doing!


	8. Answers

Answers

Wind swirled past Adriane's head, whipping her hair into her face and mouth. Gagging, she tried to spit it out and just managed to only to have another piece take its place. She wouldn't dare lift her arms off of Marcus's cold neck to tie it back, though she doubted it mattered if she held onto him or not.

At first Adriane had tried to keep a margin of her pride and travel through the woods on foot. Marcus didn't want to risk the chance of being seen by any night-time travelers and opted to go a more scenic route than take the main road leading from Voltera. It wasn't soon after they set out that Marcus started to get edgy about their slow pace. Oh, he never complained about it out loud, but as his movements became jerkier and his strides longer Adriane got the point that she was taking too long on her own. While she highly doubted that either of their presences was missed yet, she didn't want to waste time that they didn't have. Finally she asked Marcus if he was strong enough to carry her again. He picked her up a second later and threw her over his shoulder without even breaking a stride.

They had now been traveling like this going on three hours and the sun was just starting to peak up over the horizon. The wind hadn't died down over night and that combined with Marcus's glacier-like skin was numbing Adriane's already aching limbs. She weighed her options and decided to risk a quick stretch to try to bring some feeling back into her bones. She tightened her death grip around Marcus's neck and slowly outstretched her right arm, bending her elbow back and forth.

Marcus came to a sudden stop and Adriane's arm snaked itself back around his neck. Unsure of the sudden interruption, she was more afraid to move now that he had stopped than she was when he was moving. "Why'd you stop" she whispered, "Did they follow us, can you hear something?"

"No."

"Then why?" she persisted.

"You need sustenance. Your stomach screams like that of a banshee." This wasn't exactly untrue. She hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning; she had been too distraught to eat last night, and for the latter half of the trip her stomach had been rumbling in protest. Rumbling, not_ screaming_. Stupid vampire hearing. Food wasn't something she had wanted to mention around him.

Adriane had concluded that vampire's eyes gave some kind of hint as to when they'd eaten. When she was first brought to the Volturi, the vampire's eyes had been a dark flinty black. On her second encounter, after they had eaten, their eyes had had a bright violet hugh. Marcus however, had never changed from that terrible black color. Now that she thought about it she knew he must not have eaten, or whatever it was vampires did. This surprised her greatly. She made another mental note to ask him about it later. She was racking up quite a list of questions for her mysterious savior.

Marcus hadn't made any kind of movement since he stopped and she slowly came to the conclusion that he was waiting for her to get off of him. She looked down and measured the distance between herself and the ground and mentally cursed him for being so tall. Mouth turned down into a grimace, Adriane unbent her limbs and tried to hop down from Marcus's broad shoulders.

Unable to catch her footing, pain flared through Adriane's body as she crashed to the earth, her arms and legs compiled beneath her. Stone arms wrapped themselves around her torso a moment later and lifted her up, steadying her as her weary legs swayed to and fro. "I'm fine", she snapped, unable to hide her embarrassment. He was so strong. He'd practically flown through the night with Adriane strapped to his back, yet Marcus's breathing had never increased. He'd never once faltered. And poor weakling that she was, Adriane could barely stand up straight. It was infuriating.

Marcus obeyed her and let her go, backing up a good two feet from where she was standing. Well, leaning more like. She grabbed hold of a nearby tree trunk and steadied herself for a moment. Sighing she said, "Sustenance sounds pretty good right now. Did you bring any food?"

For once Marcus looked perplexed at her statement, as if he was only just realizing that she was human and would indeed need to eat human food. He gazed around as if he half expected food to materialize in front of him.

"Well, this is just great. Remind me to never let you make any kind of snap decision again, cause boy do you suck at last minute planning!" With a yawn she slid down the trunk of the tree and leaned her head back, letting her eyes fall closed.

"You eat meat do you not?" he asked, tone as flat and deadpan as usual.

"Umm…yea…why?"She said questionably.

"I will hunt for you" he stated simply, already beginning to turn away from her.

"Wait, what?" she cried. "Hunt, as in go out and shoot something and eat it now?"

"Yes".

"Oh my god! That's so…barbaric. I don't know if I can eat something that's just been killed. Wait how are you going to kill it anyway, it's not like you brought any kind of weapon did you?"

He gave her a long meaningful look, obviously waiting for something to click. _He doesn't need any weapons so that means that…oh. Well, that makes sense. _"You are the weapon", she said, very calmly.

Pause. "Yes, I am the weapon". He was gone the next instant, giving no clue that he'd ever even been there. For all Adriane knew, he was nothing more than a figment of her imagination and she had actually gone crazy. She went to her battered suitcase and started rummaging around inside it. She withdrew a soft cotton sweater and snuggled into its inviting warm. Sunlight made all the dew in the trees sparkle like a million diamonds. _This would make a pretty painting_ she though, and knew no more.

When she finally awoke, Adriane was surrounded by the pungent smell of burning wood. She cracked her eye open and squinted into the blinding rays of sunlight. It was well into late morning and the sun had risen high in the sky. She honed in on the little fire that was burning a few feet away from her; each stick of wood was in perfect place and the fire was burning merrily. This was a lot different than Adriane's approach at a fire. On a good day she'd throw some sticks down, put dried leaves on the pile, light a match and hope on the off chance that the fire gods would be so kind as to bless her with a flame. Needless to say she had never been a girl scout.

Adriane untangled herself from her sweater, which had somehow wrapped itself around her head and was currently trying to choke her. With a sigh she got up and moved over to the fire. Camping was not her forte and the sooner they were out of the woods the better. Figuratively and literally.

Marcus came out of the woods then carrying what looked suspiciously like a slab of meat. Unless she had been looking in the direction he was walking Adriane never would have known he was there. She looked him over and was surprised to see him out of his usual black cloak. He was wearing plain non-descriptive clothing that she was glad weren't soiled from "hunting". The cloak was folded neatly and rested on her suitcase.

It was shadowy near the fire, so when Marcus walked into one of the few patches of sunlight her heart gave a sudden jolt of surprise. She had always heard that vampires couldn't go out in the sunlight, and though this proved to be true she now had a much better understanding as to why. Marcus's skin glistened in the light, almost like there were a million tiny gems faceted to his skin. It was absolutely breathtaking. A small gasp escaped her lips as she looked up at him. "This is why we do not often venture outside during the day", he said quietly. She supposed he was judging her reaction, waiting for her to panic. But she felt no fear towards him just then; she could only marvel at his inhuman beauty.

"I guess that makes sense then", she replied.

Stepping out of the light, Marcus knelt down in front of her on the other side of the fire. His hair shadowed his face and made him appear even more distant than usual. He took an already bare piece of wood and slid the meat onto one end, then held it over the fire. _Hmm, yum_ she thought sarcastically.

_Oh be nice, he didn't have to do this for you. He could have just as easily let you starve. _She hated it when her conscious kicked in."Thank you for doing this for me", she said, waving her hand in the direction of the fire.

He gave no notice that he had heard her, just continued to watch the flames. At last he said "This is deer flesh, will you eat it?"

Adriane rolled her tongue slowly over her teeth. Even now her stomach was rumbling in protest, at last she said, "Yes".

He looked up at her then and Adriane almost fell back in surprise. His eyes were a startling shade of violet and looked clearer than Adriane had ever seen them. She had been so distracted by his skin that she hadn't even noticed his eyes before now. A thin, white sheen still cover his pupils, but they were not quite as bad as they had been before. He studied her reaction a while and when she didn't move he asked "Do you fear me human?"

There was almost a sarcastic note to his voice, though not quite. She doubted he could ever muster up enough strength to actually put any conviction in his words. "No", she said and jutted her chin out defiantly. Then, "You ate didn't you?"

Long pause. "Yes."

Adriane could feel her shoulders slump and for reasons unrenowned to her she asked, "Who was it?"

"No one you should concern yourself with", he said at last.

"Why won't you tell me?" she persisted.

"It is of no importance to you", he replied in a low tone. He shifted slightly and Adriane got the feeling that he was uncomfortable talking about his dietary needs.

"It wasn't…a child or anything was it?" she asked very softly.

Marcus's head snapped up and he glared at her through the flames. Adriane quickly stood up and backed away. His eyes never ceased to follow her. _Never mind_, she though, _I guess he_ can _show emotion. It's just my luck that it's anger_.

"Do you think me so lowly that I would resort to taking _infants_?" he snarled. And yes, he did snarl. It was a low and terrifying noise.

"N...No I just, how am I supposed to know?" she snapped at him and backed away another foot.

He closed his eyes and inhaled a long, slow breath. "It was an aging doe, since you are so curious. And no, this was not of the same carcass". He waved the now ready meat in front of her, moving only to give her the food before crouching back down in front of the fire. "I assumed you would not approve," he said quietly, "though you would not acquire any contamination from doing so".

Guilt flooded through Adriane at having said such a thing. She didn't realize what she was doing until she was standing right next to him. Hesitantly she reached her hand out and touched him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry", she whispered, "please don't be angry with me".

Finally he said, "It is of no matter, I apologize for my conduct. Eat. You enjoy it warm, no?"

"Yes", she said quietly. Adriane knew he was still angry, but there was a question she was absolutely burning to ask him. In an effort to show Marcus that she was _not_ scared of him, she grabbed the meat and sat down next to him. Marcus never moved, just continued to stare at the fire.

Pulling off a strip of meat, Adriane reluctantly put a piece in her mouth. She chewed slowly and concluded that while it was not the best thing she'd ever eaten, she was hungry and food was food. "If I ask you something will you get angry at me?"

After a long pause he replied, "No".

"Okay…well, you said that you…ate a doe right? That means you don't necessarily need to rely on humans for…sustenance?"

"Yes", he said simply. Adriane nodded and went back to her food. She ate slowly, savoring the feel of a full belly, not knowing when her next meal might be.

"It is not preferred by most of my kind, drinking that which is not human. Though there are those of us who prefer to take only animals. It is a more civilized way of living", Marcus mussed, still refusing to look at her. Adriane gave him a surprised look, not sure how much longer he would be willing to talk.

"Are there many of your kind out there? How many of them eat only animals? Where do they live?" the questions seemed to pop out of her mouth of their own accord.

Marcus turned to her, capturing her gaze with his piercing red eyes. Adriane could hear her heart flutter in her chest and had a feeling that he could too. "There is more of my kind than you would think. We are a very diverse race, spanning the entire globe. Many of us are nomads and roam whenever the idea happens to strike us. The Voltera are one of only a few groups who remain stationary. We are also one of the largest clans that you will find, as vampires do not tend to converse well with one another".

Adriane was fascinated with all that she was hearing. Marcus's voice was so whispery, so alluring that she could listen to him talk about almost anything and not find herself bored. "Why don't you get along with one another?" she demanded, wanting to learn as much about Marcus's brethren as possible.

"We are generally more animalistic than human, especially in the first years of the change. It is hard for us to control our bloodlust. Many will fight one another, unable to control their violent natures. The Volturi are generally made up of older vampires. We are not consumed by hunger, and can therefore remain peaceful".

"And what of the others, the ones who eat only animals? Where do they live?" she asked breathlessly.

"There are two such groups known to us", he said quietly. "Both reside in the Americas, in the colder, winter climates. There the sun is less of a problem, for you already know what it does to our skin". He motioned to his right arm, the only part of him that the light was touching. It sparkled in the light, sending rainbow colors through the air.

"Yeah", she said, "It's beautiful". Marcus looked at her quickly before turning away, so she was unable to guess at what he was thinking. After several minutes of silence she decided to ask him. At first he ignored her and continued to look steadily into the fire. After another minute he replied, "I have just had an idea of where to take you. I am trying to decide whether it is worth the risk or not".

Adriane wasn't sure whether he meant worth the risk of taking her there or if she was worth the risk in general. Either was possible at this point. "And where are you thinking of taking me?" she asked.

"To America, to one of the clans I spoke of earlier". Marcus sighed and rubbed his temple, his fingers were long and articulately shaped, covering the full length of his face.

"And what would be the problem with taking me there?"

"I cannot guarantee that they would be…friendly towards me. To you, possibly, but there are many resentments held between the Volturi and that particular clan".

"Why?, she persisted.

"It is a long story, one I do not feel like repeating now", he said, another sigh following his words. "But know this, if I do take you there, you may not receive a friendly welcome. Do not get your hopes up, for we may end up in the same situation that we are now. However, I have a feeling that they will be swayed eventually. If I must I will leave you with them and lead the Volturi away from you. It is me that they will be after at this point, not you".

Adriane didn't know what to say to him. Just the fact that Marcus, a complete stranger and mortal enemy, was willing to put himself in danger for her was more than she could bear to comprehend. "I…thank you", she said softly. "I will never be able to repay you for the kindness you've shown me".

Marcus merely nodded. Adriane studied him for a moment, yet just as she finally managed to find the courage to reach for his hand Marcus went completely still. While he hadn't been moving before, the feeling in the air changed in an instant. His eyes were focused on the direction they had traveled that morning, body tensed as if he were ready to spring forward at any moment.

He looked at her and then back to the woods, shaking his head. Adriane thought she heard him mutter _not enough time_ before he stood, grabbing her arm and hauling her up with him. "What's going on?" she cried, fear grasping at her heart like a vice.

"I apologize, I was not paying attention as I should have been", Marcus said calmly. His face was back to that bored expression she hated so much. "It seems we have a visitor."

-Well, there you go guys! Originally I hadn't intended for this chapter to be so long but seeing as I haven't updated in a long time I thought you deserved a good read. Well, hopefully you thought it was good. Any who, I do apologize for not updating. I've been really busy the past couple of months but hope to have the time to write more now. I promise there will be at least two more chapters coming out as quickly as I can write them. Don't worry, I haven't given up on this story, hope you enjoyed!


	9. Flight

Flight

***This next chapter gets a little violent. Just thought I'd let you know.

Everything had gone unearthly still around them. Marcus backed up slightly, putting half of his body in front of Adriane. She looked down and saw his hands slowly contract into claws. A tiny figure appeared through the trees, moving cautiously forward. At first Adriane thought it was a child its features appeared so young. Then it stepped into a patch of sunlight and its skin sparkled in the afternoon rays. "Hello Alec", Marcus said tightly.

The name sent a tiny spark of recognition through Adriane's brain. As the figure drew closer, its features became more defined and she suddenly had no question as to who was slowly stalking towards them. Alec, as she now remembered, was the sibling of Jane and one of Caius's own personal guard. Jane's hate-filled face flashed through Adriane's mind and she vaguely wondered if Alec was as easily riled as she. Not, of course, that Adriane would ever do anything as stupid as try to purposely piss off a vampire. She did that often enough now that she didn't even have to try.

Alec continued to move forwards, though he appeared to be less cautious than Marcus. A small smile played at the corners of his mouth, as if he couldn't quite comprehend the situation. "Marcus", he said jovially, "I would have never, in a million years, expected this of you! What's gotten into you? Running off in the dead of night, rescuing the fearless damsel, and a human at that! I must say, you put us all in a bit of shock. And Aro, well he was less than…_pleased_".

Alec was now mere feet from where Marcus was standing, and seemed to be waiting for some sort of reply. "You know", he prompted, "both Aro and Caius would be delighted to have you back; all you'd need to do is give up the girl".

Marcus started to push Adriane back, always keeping half of his body in front of hers. "I'm sorry to…disappoint my brothers", said Marcus quietly, "but I will not be returning to Voltera. Send them my best".

Alec's face turned first to surprise, then confusion, and settled somewhere along the lines of disbelief. "Marcus, be reasonable! She is nothing to you! And even if she were, she's still a human. They are weak Marcus, nothing better than food. I thought you were the most grounded of us all, surely you realize what you're doing, what you're giving up". He stepped forward and placed a hand on Marcus's arm. He was as still as a statue, so much so that Adriane doubted he was breathing. "Please", he pleaded, "I'm warning you, you'll regret this in the end."

"Never-the-less", Marcus paused, "…I have made my choice."

He stepped back until Alec could not reach him. The other vampire's face clouded over in frustration before settling on a featureless mask. "You see Marcus", he said slowly, "the only problem with that…was I was told to bring you back, both you and the girl. And _I_ unlike _you_, tend to follow my orders."

Marcus seemed unfazed by Alec's tone. He merely nodded his head and said, "I understand…your loyalty is not with me."

For reasons unknown, Adriane was becoming less and less interested in the two deadly vampires standing in front of her. She looked vaguely around at the trees and couldn't seem to remember why she was in the forest, and quite frankly she didn't care. Adriane looked down at her feet and realized that she couldn't quite make them out from the mass of colors on the ground. Confused, Adriane squinted her eyes. If she concentrated really hard she could just make out her shoes, and around them there seemed to swirl a hazy white mist. This didn't make any sense to her but after a couple seconds of consideration she lost interest in the matter.

Someone seemed to be calling her from far away, but Adriane didn't know who would know her name out in the forest. _Maybe_, she thought idly, _I've been here before and_…ADRIANE!

She looked around her for the source of the noise, but it was like trying to look through a really long straw. _Hmm, speaking of straws_…something suddenly crashed into Adriane's side, knocking her down into the soft earth. She barely felt the impact and wanted to stay lost in the sudden warmth that was spreading through her body. However all good things must come to an end and the next second she had the feeling that she was flying, soaring through the dim whiteness around her.

Cold slowly started to seep into her body and a face swam in and out of focus in front of her. It took Adriane a moment before she realized he was trying to say something to her, but she still couldn't quite make out the words. _Pretty_, she thought as his face became more focused.

For a second time that day Adriane felt something slam into her side. This time however, it was followed by a searing pain that went straight through her arm and exploded somewhere in the confines of her mind. The fog seamed to dissipate with the pain and Adriane looked to see where the angelic faced man had gone; only now remembering that it was Marcus. He was locked in battle with Alec, who seemed to have the upper hand. Around his small torso swirled what Adriane recognized now as the mist she had seen earlier. Marcus didn't get too close for fear of coming near the hazy substance. Instead he would retreat several feet every time Alec sent the mist towards him. Adriane could see that he was trying to lead Alec away from her, but she doubted the game of cat and mouse would be able to last much longer.

Marcus seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she. He called out, "This will go on forever Alec! Go home; there is no shame in such a defeat."

This seemed to merely enrage the vampire. Snarling, the mist around Alec's body suddenly disappeared. Adriane couldn't understand what he was doing. _Why would he just give up_, she thought. Suddenly Alec disappeared; moving so fast he barely left a blur behind. The next second Adriane was being dragged backward by her neck. She slammed into Alec's stone chest and could feel his cool breath on her neck, making her shiver. "You're right Marcus; this would have gone on forever, though you seem to of provided me with the perfect bait!"

Marcus was suddenly right in front of them. His lip was turned down into a fierce sneer and a low rumbling was coming from deep inside of his chest. Alec merely chuckled. "Poor Marcus", he said softly, "you're not cut out for this anymore. You used to be the strongest of us all. Now you're too weak, too…_arghh_!"

Marcus dove forward. He grabbed Alec's arm and twisted it back with a sickening snap. At the same time he grabbed Adriane and hurled her backward. She went flying into a nearby tree, her head reeling back before violently snapping forward onto her chest. She slid down the trunk of the tree, fighting to stay conscious.

A vicious growl ripped through Marcus's lips and for the first time Alec looked truly terrified. The odorless mist started to reach out again but Marcus slammed his fist into Alec's jaw, sending him flying back a good fifty feet and into a tree. Without giving him any time to act Marcus flew forward and stood in front of him. Alec stumbled forwards and Adriane noticed how terrifying Marcus, the quiet man with no expression, suddenly looked before his opponent. Marcus towered over Alec, being almost a whole two feet taller than him. "You should have listened to me", Marcus snarled.

Alec screamed and lunged forward, but turned too slowly as Marcus sidestepped him and slammed his hand into the back of Alec's head. There was a loud crack, followed by an ear-splitting shriek from Alec. Marcus had placed his one hand on the side of Alec's head and the other on his shoulder. With one sharp jerk of his arm he tore the small body completely in half from shoulder to waist. Without pause Marcus started to tear the body apart, starting with the head and moving down. When he was done he set fire to the pieces. Dark, sweet smelling plumes of smoke rolled away from the carcass, and beside it stood Marcus. He was nearly invisible the smoke was so dark.

As he came toward her the Marcus Adriane knew had disappeared. In his place was a powerful killing machine, complete with luminous red eyes and sharp teeth to match. Adriane tried to scramble backwards when he got closer but ended up falling and grabbing the tree for support. Her legs wouldn't hold her weight they were shaking so badly and on top of that her head was pounding in unison with every beat of her heart.

"Adriane", he said gently, "please listen to me." He made to reach for her arm but she jerked backward out of fear. She hissed as pain flared through the base of her skull and down into her spine. Adriane could feel the tears threatening to overspill in her eyes. Marcus moved his arm in her direction very slowly until his hand rested gently on her own. "Adriane, look at me", he whispered.

Adriane felt powerless as her gaze met his own. "I swear to you", Marcus said, "You have nothing to fear from me. I am", pause, "sorry you had to see that."

"A simple close your eyes would have been nice", she grumbled.

"I was slightly…distracted. And you would not have listened anyways", he replied. Marcus's mouth suddenly turned down into a frown, "You smell of blood", he said.

Slowly he reached his hand forward and ran it gently down the nap of her neck. Adriane grimaced slightly in pain but managed not to say anything. When Marcus pulled his hand back it was slick with blood. Adriane thought absently how much worse it looked in comparison to the snow white pallor of his skin.

Marcus hissed when he saw the blood. Adriane drew back slightly, not completely trusting the strength of his willpower. "Don't", he said simply, "I am not in danger of losing control. But I must move you. I must see what damage you have acquired".

Adriane wasn't too keen on the sound of moving, but with help from Marcus she was able to sit up. "Remove your shirt", he said in a neutral voice, "I wish to check your spin."

"What are you a doctor?" she asked sarcastically.

"I have studied many things", he countered. Adriane lifted her arms hesitantly into the air and he removed her shirt. Unbelievably, this made her almost as nervous as when Alec first appeared. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and wished not for the first time that Marcus's hearing wasn't so good.

"Lie down", he murmured.

"Yea, that's easier said than done" Adriane growled. She lowered herself down to the ground, head throbbing in pain. Marcus's fingers parted her hair and she gasped when he brushed against the gash in her skull. His fingers ghosted down her neck and along her spine, occasionally probing here or there at her back.

"Well", he sighed, "luck seems to be with you today. There is nothing broken, though expect there to be severe bruising. I am also…hesitant to move you. However this is problematic seeing as we shouldn't stay long in one place".

"I can move", Adriane insisted, "well, you'll have to carry me, but I'm not staying here." She looked over at the now smoldering pile of ashes that had been Alec. "Please don't make me stay here."

Marcus looked at her for a long time before finally sighing and standing up. Adriane put her shirt back on slowly and pulled herself up with Marcus's help. He gently cradled her in his arms, which was quite a change from the last time she was carried by him. His cool skin felt good on her aching back. "We'll go back and get your things", Marcus said, "and keep heading North. You must also find a place to get clean." Here he indicated the blood that was slowly drying on her neck. Adriane merely nodded, suddenly feeling extremely tired. The gentle rhythm of Marcus's body pulled her quickly into sleep.

"Rest now", Marcus whispered, "there will be little chance in the coming days."

**Sorry it's taking me so long to update guys; I promise I'm working on it! I hope to be able to write faster soon and I promise one of these days the chapters will be longer. Until then you'll just have to put up with my writing style. Send some reviews my way, I love hearing from you! Even if it's a bit of constructive criticism, in the end it'll only help me grow. Next chapter coming soon!!!


	10. The Pond

The Pond

**For a small, yet vitally important disclaimer. I saw the movie New Moon with some friends the other day. And no, the Marcus in this story looks NOTHING like the guy playing Marcus in the movie. Sorry, I'm just really picky about what I think that he should look like. So if anyone reading this has seen the movie and is trying to picture movie Marcus with the Marcus in this story, get it out of your head. Right now. Thank you.

The following morning, Adriane had woken up to feel shooting pains run down the length of her back. She'd had to ask Marcus to put her down the ache was so intolerable. He had stood by her quietly as she slowly moved into a completely upright position, which, trust me, was no easy task. Adriane had lifted up her shirt and twisted ever so slowly, trying to get a view of her back, though as soon as she turned a searing pain flared at the base of her skull. From that quick glance however, she concluded that most of her back was a disgusting, blackish green bruise.

Already weak from a lack of food and sleep, the simple act of staying conscious was exhausting to Adriane. "Do you think you'd be able to get any more food…soon?" She'd asked, trying not to sound as whinny out loud as she did in her head.

Marcus nodded slowly and walked toward her. "You can survive another hour, no?" he had whispered. "We are…perhaps an hour away from the French border. I wish to at least cross that before we stop again. That way, we aren't…entirely…in Volturi territory."

Adriane had stopped trying to remove the dirt from the front of her shirt and looked at him. "By territory you mean, like—"

"Hunting…territory."

"Oh." _Oh_, she had thought to herself, _it's amazing that something so significant could be going on around you that you have no knowledge of_.

"Italy is a fairly expansive area for one group of vampires", Adriane pondered, "unless, there are more of you..?"

Marcus shook his head a fraction of an inch. "Others of our kind…both respect and fear the Volturi. As a general rule, if you will, any vampire from a visiting clan does not overstay their welcome in Italy." He had paused in consideration, "For a human, it is a relatively safe inhabitance."

"And what happens if people overstay their welcome?" she had asked.

With a dispassionate look, Marcus had asked if she was well enough to travel. After some consideration, it was decided that Adriane would again travel on Marcus's back. It was still painful, but the lack of contact to her spine helped ease some of the uncomfort.

They had been traveling for over an hour now and Adriane's stomach was ready to cave in from hunger. Marcus, who had been running at a steady, yet insanely fast rate, slowed down infinitesimally to look at some unseen object in the distance. "There is water several miles ahead. We shall stop there."

Adriane considered this the best news she'd received in days. It was time to put some of that soap to good use. _Thank God Marcus stopped to think of some practical necessities_, she murmured to herself. In less than a minute they had reached a small, secluded pond. Nothing had ever looked so beautiful to Adriane in that moment, except for maybe her sulky vampire protector.

Sliding gingerly down Marcus's back, Adriane started to unzip her suitcase. She pulled out the soap and shampoo that Marcus had so graciously thrown in her bag days before. While Adriane knew that she was starting to smell, she also knew that Marcus's senses were much more attuned than her own. If nothing else she would get clean for his benefit.

"Umm…I'm going to wash up", Adriane muttered, embarrassed. She sniffed her hair. "I smell _really _bad."

Marcus only shrugged. "I will find you food."

Adriane just nodded, already turning to head to the pond. She removed her shoes and gingerly stuck one of her feet in the water. It was cool, but refreshing, not that Adriane would have complained anyway. She glanced back to see if Marcus had gone yet. While she didn't picture him as some kind of pervert who would get off behind the bushes, she also didn't feel easy around him. There was something about him that made Adriane nervous, and not for the reason that it should have been.

Seeing no one, she stripped and slid slowly into the water, shivering for a couple minutes before her body adjusted to the temperature. She washed quickly and was enjoying the feeling of the cool waves gently rocking her body back and forth. It wasn't until ten minutes later when she went to get out that Adriane realized that she didn't have any kind of towel with her. She looked at her dirty clothes and considered putting them back on, yet discarded the idea quickly. No way was she going to get dirty again after finally being clean for days. She decided to wait.

When Marcus finally returned, Adriane swam to a shallower part of the pond. "Marcus!" she yelled, attempting to be coy, "can I ask you for a favor?"

Marcus slowly looked up at her with those blank, red eyes. "I don't have a towel…or anything to change in to", she continued, "Can you bring me something out of my suitcase to put on?"

Marcus unbent he knees slowly and glided towards her suitcase. Halfway there he changed his mind and turned to walk toward her. Adriane wondered what he could possibly be doing. When he reached the edge of the pond Marcus unhooked the cloak from around his shoulders and laid it on the grass. "You may use this to dry. It serves me no current purpose", he said, then turned around and walked back to his catch.

Adriane looked at the cloak for a minute and then turned to face him again. Marcus was directed away from her, and from the looks of it was building up a fire. Reassured that he wouldn't turn around, Adriane quickly waded out of the pond and up to shore. She rung out her hair the best she could and put the cloak around her. _At least I don't have to worry about the length_, she told herself. The fabric hit her way below the knees.

Stopping to pick up her clothes, Adriane walked slowly to where Marcus was, still tending to the fire. A lazy trail of smoke rose from the tipi-like structure he had created. "Umm, thanks", she managed.

Marcus gave no reaction to her words. Instead he began to work on skinning the rabbit which, she assumed, was her dinner. Adriane could feel herself begin to get sick and had to look away. When it came to matters of food, she wasn't going to be picky. After all, she needed to eat something. Although that didn't mean she had to watch the gory process take place.

Instead, Adriane focused her attention on the muscles of Marcus's back, which rippled like steal cords beneath his plain cotton shirt. It was amazing to Adriane that something so ordinary could rest on a being as magnificent as Marcus. It wasn't something that she had bothered to pay attention to when she first met him. Adriane had a feeling that most people never took the time to look past his lethargic expression, but once you did there were a lot of little things that added up to a truly beautiful being.

For instance, he had long, powerfully shaped hands. His face was highlighted with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and a strong yet not quite square chin. His back wasn't the only thing that was layered with muscle. At a first glance he looked fragile, but once you looked closer you could distinguish a trace of power remaining in his movements. _He must have been extraordinarily strong when he was younger_, Adriane pondered. Flashes of the day before entered her mind, of Marcus ripping Alec's body apart like one would tear a sheet of paper in half. _He's not as defenseless as you think_, a voice whispered in her mind, _don't underestimate him_.

In an effort to clear her head, Adriane went searching for something that she could potentially sit on. Scouring the nearby woods she saw a decent enough piece of wood that must have once been part of a massive tree limb. She went over to it and tried to drag it towards the fire, but no matter how hard she pulled the tree limb stayed stationary. Adriane bent down to examine the bottom piece of the wood and saw that it was somehow embedded in the ground, with one of the surrounding tree's roots pinning it down like an anchor. There was no way she'd be able to move it.

Adriane turned to call for Marcus's aid but found him already standing behind her. He glanced at the tree limb and walked slowly around her. Grabbing on to one end he turned and began to walk away. The wood slid smoothly out of the ground as if it were nothing more than butter, taking the neighboring root with it. Adriane watched with awe as the rest of the root was ripped out of the ground. Marcus examined the limb and broke off a piece that had not been unearthed. He carried the dry piece to the fire like a normal person would carry a stick and placed it easily on the ground. Adriane followed numbly behind. "Thanks", she murmured, and sat down. No way did she ever want to get on his bad side.

"I would ask you for a favor", Marcus sighed.

"Yea, sure", said Adriane, still in a slight daze at that little inhuman show of strength.

"I wish to borrow this", he said, and waved his hand at the shampoo that Adriane had used earlier.

Unable to stop herself, Adriane busted out laughing. Marcus showed no expression. "You…you're asking me if you can borrow my shampoo?" she giggled.

"I did not wish to enter into public looking…"

"No, no, it's just that you don't need to ask me something like that", she exclaimed, "dude, just take it".

Marcus picked up the bottle. "Thank you", he said, and inclined his head slightly.

"Unbelievable", she sighed. Though what was more unbelievable was what he did next. Marcus apparently wasn't as self conscious about his body as Adriane was. She followed him with her eyes as he approached the pond. He placed the bottle on the ground and removed his shirt as he stood up. His entire body glistened in the morning light, but that wasn't what Adriane was paying attention to. Instead she choose to focus on the fact that in the next second the remainders of his clothes were in a pile by the pond.

Adriane felt her breath stutter to a stop as she stared at Marcus in all of his glory, well, what she could see of it anyway. His entire back was layered in muscle, with both his shoulders and neck impossibly broad. This tapered off into slender yet lean hips and on to powerful, long legs. His butt, as Adriane noted, could rival any godly statue.

Marcus slipped into the water without a sound. He continued walking until only his neck and head could be seen, and then the next moment those were gone too. Adriane focused her attention on the food that had now finished roasting on the fire. She focused on eating said food, and when she was done with that she focused on a blade of grass by her feet and maintaining a steady intake of air. She didn't hear Marcus leave the pond, nor did she hear him approach her. He was simply there at her side, already dry and now fully clothed. He must have cleaned his clothes too for they were nowhere near as dirty as they had been before; they were also completely dry.

"Have you finished?" he asked her politely.

"Yeah…" she responded, annoyed at the sigh she heard in her own voice.

"Then let us go", Marcus answered. He turned and waited politely for her to change before stamping out the fire and lifting her suitcase. Adriane slowly climbed onto his back. There was a whole new meaning to this gesture now that Adriane knew what lay underneath the thin cotton fabric of his shirt.

They stopped on the outskirts of a small French village. Marcus left her behind a tiny chicken pen and told her to wait for him to get back. It wasn't long before she heard the rumble of an engine and then the quiet hum as a car was geared to a stop. Adriane peered around the pen and saw that the door to the car was open and inside was Marcus, looking at her impatiently. It didn't take a genius to know that he hadn't gotten the car legally, so Adriane threw the suitcase in the back and jumped inside, slamming the door closed behind her.

The ride to the airport was a quite one. Adriane, feeling exhausted, was content to sit and watch the country roll by outside the window of the car. She had only one momentary lapse of panic when she first entered the automobile. Like most things that had happened to her the past few days, it didn't surprise Adriane to find out that Marcus could in fact drive. The thing that surprised her was how fast he drove. No human could have maneuvered around turns and across country roads at speeds that exceeded almost a hundred miles an hour, but Marcus did so with ease. He didn't even seem to be paying attention to what he was doing.

About an hour into their trip Adriane read a sign that said: _Beinvenue en Lyon! _She had been to the southern part of France before and vaguely remembered getting a flight out of one of its airports. Marcus seemed to know where he was going and found _Lyon_ St-Expuéry with ease. He left the car in the parking lot and slipped on the cloak that Adriane had used that morning. She had no idea if it was still wet or not.

Adriane and Marcus entered the airport without much difficulty. The security personnel regarded Marcus uneasily, but as there was nothing on him that could keep him detained, and since he somehow managed to procure a passport and fake identification card from his inside shirt pocket, they went through customs with ease. Marcus handled the ticket transaction, not surprising Adriane when she heard him speaking perfect French in his whispery voice.

While they waited for their flight, a direct route to Olympia, Washington, Marcus ghosted over to an ATM. He slipped a black credit card out of his shirt and stuck it into the machine. He waited with an impassive expression as Euros were quickly dispensed into his hand. Tucking his card back into his shirt, Marcus handed Adriane the money that he had gotten.

"Purchase what you will", he directed. Adriane continued to stare at him. She could get her own money and felt uncomfortable using his after everything that he had done for her.

"I don't feel right using your money", she said, "You've done enough for me as it is."

"You are hungry, no?" he inquired. "I cannot hunt for you in here…I doubt you would enjoy human flesh."

Adriane had the fleeting suspicion that he had just made an attempt at humor, and decided not to push the subject. She would find a way to pay him back somehow. The highlight of the afternoon was watching Marcus try to fit himself into one of the tiny food-court chairs as Adriane bought a salad. After days of eating only meat she figured it was time for something green. It amused her to see a slight hint of revulsion on Marcus's face as he observed the people around him eating; the small change to his features somehow made him seem less like a statue and more like someone capable of feelings. No matter how bottled up he kept those feelings.

The sun had set by the time that they boarded their plane. As Adriane offered up her ticket she got the feeling that someone was watching her. She turned to face in the direction of the food-court. What she saw made her heart stop in her throat. There was Jane, sitting at a table in the section nearest Adriane, looking her dead in the eye. Her lip turned up slowly into a snarl and her eyes blazed like fire.

"Mademoiselle."

Adriane turned to see the man holding out her ticket and passport, looking at her with slight concern.

"Merci", she said.

Glancing back over her shoulder she saw no one at the table. _Calm down, you're just tired _she told herself. She boarded the plane and found her seat next to Marcus, and was pleased to find that she got the window. He watched as fellow passengers boarded the plane with slight interest. A mother and her young son were seated to the right of him. Adriane watched his expression soften infinitesimally as the boy tugged on his mother's sleeve, pointing to something out the window.

"Did you ever have a family?" she heard herself ask.

Marcus turned away from the pair. "No", he said, with a slight edge to his voice.

Adriane looked at him again but he had closed his eyes, and remained that way the rest of the flight. Adriane doubted he was sleeping, but she knew that she had crossed a line with Marcus and didn't want to push him any further.

The next thing that she knew Marcus was telling her she had to get up. Adriane stretched and followed the slow moving line to the front of the plane. No one ever told you it took longer getting off the plane than it did to get on. After an hour and a half of going through customs and security, which was much heavier in the States than it had been in France, Marcus withdrew a thousand dollars of U.S. money. Adriane didn't say anything.

They exited the airport and entered the cloudy state of Washington. Adriane hailed a cab and put her sole measly suitcase into the trunk. The cabby looked at Marcus uneasily but must have decided he wanted the money that Marcus was offering him if he took them to a place called Forks.

An hour into their drive it started to rain and after another two hours it hadn't stopped. It took Adriane a minute to realize that they had reached their destination. She concluded that the houses must have been fairly spread out, since there were only a couple businesses to signifying that they were on Main Street. As they passed a post office Adriane read a sign that said: _Welcome to Forks! _She had no idea what to expect now that she was here, but Adriane was fairly certain that whatever it entailed she could count on it to rain.

***Okay, so first let me just say…NEVER listen to me when in regards to putting up a new chapter. Just know that I'm not going to stop writing the story; no worries there. Second, thanks to my new readers for all of their comments, and thanks to my old readers who haven't deleted this story because I suck at updating. I'm really busy so I basically have no idea when I can add a new chapter, but I'll try to write as quickly as possible. I love comments, so leave me some-Thanks!


	11. The Cullens: Part One

The Cullens: Part One

*********Just so you know, I decided to go with the book's original description of the Cullen house simply because I like it better than the modern house used in the movies. I apologize if some of you don't like that, but as it is my vision I can only feel so bad. Happy reading!

Marcus, apparently having no notion of money, handed the driver three hundred dollars for his services and exited the cab in a slow and calculated manner. Adrianne did the same and stood shivering in the rain while the cabbie got her suitcase out of the trunk. The driver gave Marcus one last, uneasy look before getting back into his car and driving off. Adrienne turned to look at Marcus. "Well, now what?" she asked, looking around.

The driver had dropped them off in front of a small restaurant. She could see people looking at them through the window, obviously wondering who had come to disturb their peaceful morning. Marcus bent down and grabbed her suitcase. He inclined his head slightly and started walking, obviously meaning for Adrianne to follow him. He brought her around to the back of the restaurant and turned quickly. Seeing no one, Marcus grabbed Adrianne and the next thing she knew they were in the woods about a few hundred feet away from the main road.

He stood looking down at her for a moment before speaking, wanting to choose his next words carefully. "I…do not know how you will be…welcomed here", Marcus breathed, "this could very well be a foolish decision, though it is perhaps the only option available to us. The clan that resides here is known as the Cullens, their leader is a vampire by the name of Carlisle. He is gentle natured. I am relying heavily on his…hospitality. They will know we are coming".

Marcus moved to pick her up but Adrianne stepped back and brought her hands up in front of her body. "Wait", she said quickly, "just wait. How many vampires are there? How do they know we're coming? How do you even _know_ them in the first place?"

Adrianne was feeling a strong sense of panic coming over her. In the past week her life had changed faster than her mind could keep up with. The reality of her situation was crashing down on her and Adrianne was trying hard to keep her emotions in check. Marcus stood motionless, waiting for Adrianne to calm down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the air out slowly through her nose. "Okay", she said cautiously, "I'm good. But answer my questions!" She opened her eyes and gave Marcus her most penetrating look, knowing without a hint of doubt that she couldn't make him do anything that he didn't want to. The thought was slightly depressing.

When he was sure that she wouldn't interrupt him, Marcus whispered softly, "The number of vampires, as of three years ago, had reached nine. I know not if this number has changed. They will know of our coming for, like the Volturi, those in this clan hold certain…advantages over the rest of our kind. As for how I know them…" here he trailed off.

After a second Adrianne raised her eyebrows "Yes?" she inquired.

Marcus shifted ever so slightly. "Carlisle and the Volturi go back several centuries", he said quietly, "he was with us for a very short time. He never agreed with our…lifestyle. As for the rest of his clan…." Marcus locked eyes with Adrianne, holding her gaze with his impenetrable stare. "The Volturi attempted to kill them three years ago".

"Kill them" she yelled, "great, that's just _perfect_!" Adrianne dragged her hands slowly down her face and held her breath, waiting for Marcus to say something. When he didn't Adrianne glared up at him, finding him starring at her with the same blank expression that he always had. "And what, exactly, do you think is going to make them help us?"

"You", he said impassively.

Without any further elaboration Marcus lifted her up and slung her around and onto his back, careful to avoid the bruises that still covered her body. He set off at a quick yet steady pace; Adrienne was quiet and watched as the trees whirled by her head in a mass of green. "I did not know how to get to the Cullens from the main road." Marcus explained quietly, "Out here, I can smell their scent. It will be mere minutes before we reach their home. I hope you are ready".

"Me too", she said and held on tighter to his body.

In less time than Adrianne thought was possible, Marcus had stopped by a long, half hidden driveway in the woods. She squinted into the distance, trying to make out a house, but all she saw were trees. The path curved and disappeared into the endless greenery. _Great_, she though, _they probably live in a rundown, haunted mansion or something_.

Marcus, sensing her obvious concern, said softly, "There is a clearing ahead that your human eyes cannot see. That is where they wait". He tilted his head slightly to the side and breathed in a long, slow breath before wrinkling his nose in what she guessed to be disgust. "They are not alone…there are other…phenomenon in this world that your kind have no knowledge of, though I doubt you will see them today".

Adrianne felt a shiver run down her spine; she could only guess at what might be worse in the world than vampires.

"Look at me human."

Marcus's whispery voice brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up into his blood red eyes, trying to read what he was thinking but to no avail. He bent his torso slightly, bringing his gaze more to her level. "Your safety is not…guaranteed. I make no promises other than that I will do my best to protect you. Stay behind me at all times. Make no sudden movement. If I tell you to do something, you will do it. Have I made myself…understood?"

"Y…yes", she stammered, unable to mask the fear in her voice.

He gave a small nod and straightened up. Marcus turned and hesitated slightly before walking away. "I hope our journey today is successful. I do not wish for you to die. Follow me".

They stepped off of the road and onto the narrow driveway, Adrianne following a couple paces behind Marcus. She thought about what Marcus had said and hoped that he was right. _I don't want to die either_, she thought, _and I don't want him to get hurt trying to protect me_. Adrianne knew that if something happened to Marcus she would never forgive herself. In the few days that they had known each other he had become important to her, and not just because he kept saving her life.

Up a head Adrianne could just make out patches of sunlight, so she assumed that they were getting close to the house. Several minutes later Adrianne stepped out of the woods and into a brightly lit clearing. What she saw when she looked around surprised her. She was standing in what must have once been a huge meadow of sorts that had been cleared of its vegetation. Somewhere in the distance she could hear water, though she didn't know what direction it was coming from.

In the middle of the meadow stood a gorgeous three level, French country styled home. It had been painted a cheerful off white color and had a huge wrap-around porch. Everything about the house looked inviting and friendly; however it was the occupants of the home that looked less than friendly to Adrianne. She counted nine bone white figures standing in front of the house along with one tan, surprisingly human looking man.

Marcus slowed and walked cautiously in front of Adrianne, his right arm tensed and raised in front of her as a form of shield. He bent his body slightly and continued forward, making his movements look ever so slightly cat like. As they drew closer Adrianne began to make out the other vampire's facial features. On either side of the front steps were three figures, spread equally far apart. In the front and back were men leaving two women in between them. On the left hand side stood a hulking, chalk white vampire with layers of muscles visible under his shirt. Off to the right stood the human looking man, however he looked equally as fierce and had muscles that could easily rival his vampire counterpart.

Between the left lines of vampires stood a beautiful looking blonde woman, perhaps the prettiest that Adrianne had ever seen. Behind her was a tall, curly haired man. He looked surprisingly peaceful compared to his fellow companions. Adrianne felt compelled to look into his eyes and when she did a sense of calm fell over her, making her feel instantly better. She could have sworn she saw him wink, but after a second thought she reconsidered.

Opposite to them, standing behind the tan man, was a dark haired female vampire. What surprised Adrianne most about her was that her eyes were a different color than the rest of them. They all had bright golden eyes yet hers were more of a pale orange, with bright golden flecks in them. The girl regarded Adrianne with a curious expression, almost knowing. To be honest it freaked her out. Behind her was an incredibly handsome, bronze haired boy. He had his eyes trained on Marcus and appeared to be talking to the others, his lips moving so fast that Adrianne couldn't make out a single thing that he was saying.

Up on the porch, behind the boy, stood a girl with dark brown eyes. Her skin was less pale than the rest of them and she looked younger somehow. Opposite to her was a frail, pixie looking woman that had a slight smile on her face. She was moving restlessly back and forth on her feet, like she was excited to finally see them, which made absolutely no sense to Adrianne what so ever.

Finally, standing in the middle of the porch was who Adrianne assumed to be Carlisle. He was a handsome blonde man and had a friendly, if not slightly strained look on his face. Beside him was a pretty, almost motherly looking vampire. She regarded Adrianne cautiously, obviously wondering what harm she intended towards her and the rest of her family.

Marcus continued to move forward until he was about twenty feet away from the first two male figures. The muscled vampire tensed slightly and a low growl escaped his lips. Marcus reached behind him and pulled Adrianne closer to his body. She peered out behind his arm wide eyed with fright. Somehow these vampires where almost worse than the ones in Voltera; at least back in Italy she knew she was going to be eaten. Now Adrianne had no clue what these people were going to do to them both.

For a moment there was silence, then Carlisle said, in a friendlier manner than expected, "Marcus, welcome. Your appearance here has been more than a little, ah, surprising to us. For what do we owe this occasion?"

Marcus did not answer right away, which was not surprising to Adrianne at all. What did surprise her, though, was when he finally straightened to his full height and turned to her. "Do not move", he whispered. Marcus turned and glided to the front steps of the porch, making no noise as he went. Several hisses could be heard from the other vampires at his closer proximity, but none of them moved to stop him.

He halted at the foot of the stairs and knelt down on the ground, bending his head. It almost looked like he was praying. "We have come to ask for your aid", Marcus said in a breathy sigh, "I have left the…services…of the Volturi. The girl was to be changed, Aro found her entertaining". Here he motioned to Adrianne. "I did not…approve".

"You're risking all of our lives by coming here!" snarled the beautiful blonde girl.

"Rosalie", said Carlisle, "that's enough".

"Rose", warned the muscular vampire. Rosalie glared at the back of Marcus's head with hate filled eyes but said no more.

"I am aware of the danger I bring to your family", Marcus said, his voice deathly calm. "I would not have come…though there was nowhere else to go. Yours is the largest coexisting clan known to the Volturi. It is also the safest for a human to reside. The Volturi will always know where I am, there is no escaping them. I am prepared to leave should you offer sanction to the girl. I would lead them away from here, as it is I that they are now after…." Marcus's voice trailed off in a forlorn whisper.

"He could be lying!" the brown skinned man shouted. "How do we know he wasn't sent here to try and kill Renesmee again? I say we burn him and send his ashes back to Italy!"

Adrianne hadn't noticed before, but now she saw that the man's entire body was shaking, like he had just been thrown into ice cold water. He had moved towards Marcus and had his hands balled up into fists.

"Jake" the dark haired vampire next to him muttered urgently, "Jacob stop. Don't phase, just keep yourself together". She moved to put her arm against him but Jacob brushed her off and strode forward. His entire body was convulsing with tremors and he had his teeth barred in a snarl. Adrianne had no idea what he was but she had a strong feeling that this was one such creature that Marcus had been talking about earlier. She backed off as the being neared Marcus.

"I won't", Jake snarled, "I won't let him hurt her!"

The next thing that Adrianne knew she was getting flung sideways and onto her already battered back. A dark shadow passed over her head and what she saw next sent chills through her entire body. An enormous wolf stood snarling at Marcus, who had moved to the center of the meadow.

Adrianne looked around desperately and saw a pile of shredded clothes lying abandoned on the ground. They were the same clothes that Jacob had been wearing moments ago. She looked slowly back at the enraged wolf and held her breath. She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought that she might be looking at some kind of demonic wolf hybrid. _Werewolf_, a voice said slyly in the back of her mind. And why not, in a twisted way it made perfect sense. _Where there are vampires there are werewolves_, the voice inside her head laughed.

This new monster seemed more than capable of harming Marcus. He looked so frail compared to the huge wolf standing before him. Marcus took a measured step backwards. In turn the wolf snarled and moved forward into a crouch. Marcus took another step backward and a moment later the wolf roared and lunged at the vampire, who somehow still managed to have a bored expression on his face, as if his life wasn't in danger of ending.

"No!" Adrianne heard herself scream as Marcus became lost behind the wolf's massive frame.

****Wow, so finally, an update! I hadn't realized that it had been eight months since my last chapter was put up (thank you Robyn) but life tends to get in the way of things. Yea, I'm sure some of you thought I'd abandoned this story. If you're one of those people…..gotcha! Originally this was supposed to be one chapter but it was going to go on for a ridiculously long time and I thought it would be better to break it up and at least get something new out. I'm going to start the second installment tonight, so hope for a new chapter within the next couple of days. (Crosses fingers) Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for sticking with me guys. Leave some reviews


	12. The Cullens: Part Two

The Cullens: Part Two

Adrianne watch with horror as the wolf encompassed Marcus, positive that it was more than capable of harming him. But Marcus, as it would appear, was not to be underestimated. A moment later the wolf was sent flying backwards, doing a summersault in the air before it landed shakily on its feet. Jacob charged again but Marcus easily dodged him. This happened twice before Jacob caught on and changed his tactic. He ran towards Marcus a third time and suddenly lunged to the left, tackling Marcus and knocking him to the ground while his large jaws came inches from destroying Marcus's face.

At a loss for what to do, Adrianne looked around at the other vampires. They had moved off of the porch, closer to her, though looked like they had no intention of stopping the fight. The small vampire, the one with the brown eyes, was nowhere to be seen. A snapping noise caught her attention and her head whipped back to the two struggling figures on the ground. Marcus was holding Jacob's massive chest away from his body with his arms; he would move just far enough away each time the wolf tried to bite him.

Unable to just stand there, Adrianne did the first thing that came to her mind. Upon later consideration, it wasn't the brightest move in the world, but it served its purpose. She bent down and, finding the nearest rock that she could, threw it at the wolf's head. It landed on the side of the wolf's face, near his eye. Though she doubted that it hurt him, Adrianne managed to distract him for the smallest of seconds as Jacob turned his dark, angry eyes towards her. That was all the time that Marcus needed.

The vampire snaked his arm around the wolf's head, throwing his leg around Jacob's giant torso as he went. He pulled him down to the ground and crushed him to his chest. Jacob struggled but was unable to break free of Marcus's grasp, now having the upper hand. Marcus sank his other hand into the ground, digging in tightly as Jacob continued to thrash back and forth.

"Jacob", said a soft voice.

Adrianne turned around and saw the brown eyed vampire standing next to her, holding what looked suspiciously like a pair of shorts. The wolf looked at her but continued to struggle, unwilling to give up though he had no hope of escape. The vampire walked over to him slowly and put a hand on the wolf's large muzzle. He stilled instantly.

"Jacob stop", she said, "I don't want you to hurt him".

The wolf gave a low whine and shook its massive head. Adrianne couldn't hear what the vampire told him next but it obviously had some impact on Jacob. He gave one more soft growl and closed his eyes. In the next second there lay a very tan, very naked man on the ground. Marcus instantly released him and backed away. He concentrated on brushing off his right hand, which was now covered in dirt. His face was completely impassive when he looked up at Adrianne, though he gave her a small nod, which she assumed to mean that he was all right.

"Marcus, I apologize", said Carlisle, "old wounds run deep…as you can see". He motioned to the now partially clothed Jacob, who was standing protectively in front of the brown eyed vampire.

"Yes", he stated simply.

Carlisle sighed and looked around at each member of his family, making sure to meet their eyes. "Now, if we are all done fighting one another", his gaze came to rest lastly on Jacob, who looked back in defiance, "we can discuss this in a civilized manner". Marcus walked slowly over to Carlisle, hesitating slightly when he stood in front of him.

"You…are one of a very few souls that I trust". He paused and looked Carlisle squarely in the face. "I would not deceive you. I am prepared to turn on my own if it ensures the human's safety, though I mean no harm to you and your family. If your wish is for us to leave we shall…but if that is the case then I must beg you to reconsider".

"He's telling the truth Carlisle", said the bronze haired boy. He gave Marcus a penetrating look before continuing, "He killed Alec".

Carlisle seemed to stiffen. He turned his gaze away from Marcus and appeared to be in deep thought. Adrianne wondered how the boy could have possibly known that, and then she heard Marcus's voice inside of her head…_like the Volturi, those in this clan hold certain…advantages over the rest of our kind_.

"Oh hell yeah", the muscular vampire laughed, "I like him more already!"

"Carlisle", said the small vampire with brown eyes, "I remember him." Here she motioned towards Marcus. "He was there that day, when the Volturi came for me. And if I remember correctly…he was the only one that voted no. He was the only one that tried to save me".

"Renesmee is right", said the dark haired female vampire. She moved over towards Marcus and laid a hand gently on his arm. "And I want to thank you for that". She gave him a small smile. Marcus remained unmoved, his eyes never leaving Carlisle.

Adrianne watched all of this in wonderment. She felt like she was being let in on a secret part of Marcus that she had always suspected was there: kindness. She couldn't help but feel proud of him, no matter what happened today.

Carlisle looked up into the eyes of the female vampire who had been standing next to him on the porch. She could almost hear him asking her for guidance. The vampire looked at Marcus and then at Adrianne, her golden eyes searching for some kind of answer in Adrianne's face. She then turned back to Carlisle and gave him the smallest of smiles before nodding her head. "Of course", she murmured.

As if with those two words he had found the answer he needed, Carlisle turned back to Marcus before speaking in a not unkind voice, "I have no doubt that what you have told me today is true. Though it has been many years since we have resided under the same roof, if memory serves I enjoyed both your company and your wisdom. Though some of us here seem to have forgotten how difficult it is when you are in need of aid, as we were some years ago", he eyed Jacob and Rosalie carefully, "I have not. You and your companion are welcome here for as long as you need".

It took Adrianne a minute to process everything that she'd heard. Both she and Marcus had a place to stay. They weren't going to have to run anymore. She could get a shower and eat and…she stopped, mentally kicking herself. Adrianne could pretty much guarantee that it wasn't going to be as simple as that, there was always something that needed to be done in return; there was always a 'but'.

She watched as Marcus bowed his head. "I thank you, Carlisle", he whispered softly.

"There is one thing…" Carlisle said slowly. He stopped, wanting to choose his next words carefully. _Here it comes_, Adrianne thought with dread.

"You are more than welcome to hunt here, but you know our rules. Is that going to be a…problem for you?"

"No", Marcus breathed, "it is of no matter to me. I have already started the change".

_Ah_, thought Adrianne, forgetting momentarily that Marcus would need to eat as well. She wondered how difficult that had been for him, though looking at the non-expression on his face she couldn't help but think that normal rules didn't apply for someone as apathetic as him.

Carlisle suddenly turned towards her and smiled, showing two rows of blindingly white teeth. "I'm sorry; I don't think that I caught your name. You are…?"

"Adrianne", Adrianne said cautiously. Feeling that she should add something else she murmured, "Thanks for letting us stay here. I really appreciate it".

Carlisle nodded and glanced over to the female vampire who had helped him make up his mind. "Of course", he said with a dry smile.

The female vampire floated over to her and, catching Adrianne completely off guard, wrapped stone-like arms around her in a brief hug. "We've been expecting you. Alice saw that you were coming to us", she said, nodding her head to the pixie-like vampire. Upon hearing her name Alice bounded over and stood next to Adrianne.

"Hello", she said, "It took you long enough. I expected you to be here yesterday".

"Umm…sorry" she questioned. Alice just laughed at her. Adrianne didn't know what to make of the vampire, thinking her to be a little off center.

"Don't mind Alice", the woman said, "she's just excited that you're here. My name is Esme; I'm Carlisle's wife". Adrianne smiled, already liking her. Esme gave her a quick rundown of her family, giving names to faces of the vampires that Adrianne didn't know yet.

Rosalie had stalked off, obviously displeased at Carlisle's decision. He big burly vampire named Emmett had followed her, trying to placate the beautiful blonde. Next to go where Renesmee and Jacob, the later making it clear that he wanted nothing to do with either her or Marcus. Renesmee, at least, gave her a kind smile before she left.

Coming up to stand a little behind Alice was Jasper, the blonde that Adrianne thought had winked at her earlier. He gave her a small nod before leading Alice back towards the house, though not before she had time to shout over her shoulder, "Don't worry about your clothes, I'll take you shopping tomorrow if you want!"

_Yes_, Adrianne thought, _she's nice, but there is definitely something odd about her_. She looked around, anxious to be back beside Marcus again, but she saw him deep in conversation with Carlisle a little ways off. The two must have gone way back like Marcus had said, because she'd never seen him look so animated. If you looked closely you could almost see a slight grimace on Marcus's face, which is more than she ever got…apart from the time that she had made him angry.

The two remaining vampires, named Edward and Isabella (Bella for short) had come up to Adrianne where she was standing with Esme. Bella kept her distance from Adrianne though she didn't look at her unkindly. Adrianne looked again at the more orange color of her eyes and had the feeling that it was probably for the better that Bella kept her distance.

"Bella is going to go hunting, it will be better if she stays well fed while Adrianne is here. I'll accompany her and make sure that things go smoothly, and then we're going to get something for Adrianne to eat". He turned to Adrianne and said with a slight frown, "there was more food earlier, but with Jake around it's gone in no time".

"Oh, well, that's okay", she said a little perplexed. It's not like she had expected to get served a tray full of food when she got here_. It's not like I expected to be staying here at all_, she thought.

"We'll be back a little later", Edward said to Esme. Turning to Bella he said in a mocking voice, "I guess it's hunting time for the human again".

Bella laughed and pushed him playfully, "Yep, except this time not for me".

Adrianne had the sense that she was missing something as she watched the two figures disappear into the woods. Seeing the obvious confusion on her face Esme explained to her that Bella had only been changed three years ago. Adrianne vaguely wondered if that had anything to do with the Volturi coming three years ago or if it was just a coincidence. It was something she'd be sure and ask Marcus about later.

Speaking of Marcus, he and Carlisle had finished their discussion and were headed over towards Adrianne. Marcus looked as wraith-like as ever, showing no sign that he had almost been ripped apart earlier by an angry wolf man.

"If you'd follow me, we'll show you around the house and get you settled into a room", Carlisle said, playing the perfect host. Adrianne nodded and followed him and Esme back to the front of the house, Marcus bringing up the rear. She knew that they were walking much slower for her benefit but she was suddenly too tired to care. All that she wanted was a nice, warm shower and a long nap.

Carlisle picked up her suitcase when they neared the steps, which had been left discarded in the hurried events of the day. Adrianne blushed and told Carlisle that she didn't mind carrying it, but he gave her a kind smile and shook his head. Following the two inside Adrianne saw a magnificently decorated home; everything from the paint to the furnishings was open and cheerful, inviting really. She caught a glimpse of a beautiful piano in the foyer, and just off to the right sat Jasper and Alice, watching TV. Everything felt so normal.

After an hour of touring the Cullen's home, she was brought to a door on the third floor of the house. Marcus had remained deathly silent the entire time, looking at him Adrianne wondered if he'd been paying attention at all to the two kind vampires.

"This is Edward's old room", Esme explained, "I thought that you might enjoy the view". She pushed the door open and Adrianne walked in to a room that was completely lined with windows at the far wall. There was no bed, but a plush leather couch took up a good portion of the room. The right wall was composed entirely of shelves that were filled with books. There was a large wooden coffee table in the middle of the room as well, comfortably put in front of the sofa. A flat screen TV had been placed at the wall alongside the door. Adrianne thought that she'd have no problem fitting in to this room and was anxious to see what books might be waiting on the shelves.

"There is a guest room down the hall where Marcus will be staying", Carlisle explained, "in the morning we will switch out the bed and put it in this room as he will have no need of it". He turned towards Marcus who nodded, obviously having no problem with the arrangement. For a split second Adrianne was almost disappointed that Marcus wouldn't be staying with her, but she pushed the thought out of her mind and did her best not to let it show on her face.

"Well", said Esme, "we'll leave you alone now and let you get settled in. I know that you must want a shower. If there's anything you need let us know, there's always someone in or around the house. Alice, as I'm sure you remember, is already looking forward to taking you shopping whenever you'll let her. Do me a favor and humor her at some point, it's easier that way".

"Hey!" Adrianne heard the indignant shout come from somewhere downstairs. "I heard that!" Somehow she wasn't even surprised that Alice had heard Esme. It was just another thing to get used to if you decided to live with vampires.

Adrianne nodded and told them thank you, watching as they made a quiet exit. Marcus made to follow them but stopped at the door, turning to look at Adrianne with his lifeless eyes. She noted that they were already darker than she remembered them being the other day. "I will go hunting tonight", he told her quietly, "you will be comfortable here, no?"

"Yes", she said. "I'm fine…are you? Because of earlier I mean, not that you wouldn't be fine. I just…I was so worried", she finished lamely, knowing that she sounded like a complete moron. She lowered her head, embarrassed.

Marcus stood staring at her for a long time. Adrianne was ready to say some snide comment just to break the awkwardness but he eventually said, "I am well. There is no need to…worry".

"Okay", she said quietly. "I guess I'll see you later then".

Marcus nodded and turned to leave. Before she knew what she was doing Adrianne had called his name. He turned around just in time for her to smash into him, her arms circling him in a hug. She knew that she had just crossed the invisible DO NOT TOUCH line that Marcus had put around himself but she didn't care.

"Thank you", she whispered into his chest. He remained quiet, continuing to do nothing. Though he didn't push her away either. Then, just as she was ready to pull away, she felt one of his hands touch her lightly in the middle of her back. She gave him one last squeeze, which was much like hugging a stone pillar, and stepped back.

He wasn't looking at her, though he she heard him say a low "You're welcome" before leaving the room. The door closed with a small snap and he was gone. Adrianne just stood there looking at the door. Eventually she unpacked what few belongings she had and arranged them in the room. She checked the door to the right of the TV and saw that it was a bathroom.

After getting a long, hot shower Adrianne brushed her hair and put on a fresh pair of clothes. She sat on the couch, meaning to go down to the kitchen to see if Bella and Edward had come back with food yet. She leaned into the couch and relaxed her body, letting her mind wander. As she fell asleep she couldn't help thinking that she had gone too far with Marcus.

Hours later, Adrianne woke up to a dark room. She knew that she must have fallen asleep and stumbled her way over to the wall, turning on the light when she finally found the switch. She checked the clock on the wall and saw that it was after nine. _I must have been_ really _tired_, she thought.

Adrianne made her way down to the kitchen and found Alice sitting on the counter, waiting for her. She smiled and started pulling things out of the fridge before Adrianne had time to say a word. An hour, a grilled cheese sandwich, a banana, and almost an entire pitcher of tea later Adrianne was feeling better than she had in the last week. And she also really liked Alice. She was different, Adrianne noted, but definitely easy to get along with and fun to talk to.

She yawned and traced her finger around the edge of her glace. Alice noticed and told her promptly to "go to bed before she had to carry her up the stairs". Adrianne smiled and told her goodnight before trudging the two flights of stairs back up to her room.

When she reached the landing she hesitated, looking to the right at the door that she knew would lead her to Marcus's room. Knowing better, but not being able to stop herself, she walked over and opened the door. She turned on the light and looked around. The room was decorated lavishly and had big, country styled furniture in it. It was obviously unused most of the time because it held less personality than the rest of the house.

Not knowing what she had expected, Adrianne walked over to the huge queen sized bed and sat down. She picked up the cloak that lay folded neatly on the bed, the only remnant that told her Marcus had been there at all. Unlike Adrianne, Marcus had brought nothing with him but the clothes on his back. She held the cloak close to her, suddenly feeling very alone despite the obvious amount of people in the lower levels of the house. She pulled the cloak close to her face and breathed in deeply. It smelled ever so faintly of Marcus and she smiled, curling up on the bed despite herself.

In the middle of the night, Adrianne woke up despite her exhaustion, having the sudden feeling that someone was watching her. She rolled over and looked with bleary eyes around the room. At the opposite edge of the bed sat Marcus, looking at her with brightly lit red eyes. Adrianne struggled to stay conscious, wanting to tell him that she was sorry for what happened earlier, and that she was sorry for going into his room. She opened her mouth to speak but Marcus held up a hand, silencing her.

"Sleep", he said, his ghostly voice echoing in her mind and pulling Adrianne down into a peaceful slumber.

******Yay, part two is done! I'd love some reviews…please, pretty please? Let's see if we can make it to a hundred this time :D Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it- Jen


End file.
